Using a commercial integrated CASE tool in an undergraduate computing degree

Many Australian organisations are now integrated CASE technology to develop computerised information systems. Educators are aware of this trend, but using integrated CASE technology poses a number of potential difficulties in the areas of curriculum, education and logistics. The paper discusses the employment of a commercial integrated CASE tool in an undergraduate computing degree at Monash University´s Peninsula Campus, in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. The tool was first used in a third-year elective, and subsequently in first-year Systems Analysis. Despite some initial difficulties, use of this tool appears to have encouraged students to improve their understanding of the system development process, and to appreciate the role of CASE technology in supporting that process. The paper also considers some other issues such as methods, and relates them to the educational context of the degree