Exploring Knowledge Flow in Software Project Development

The intent of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the knowledge flow in software project development. The model presented identifies five knowledge sources linked to five basic cognitive factors. The knowledge flow model is applied on a software project developed by a team of undergraduate students enrolled in a capstone project during the 2008 winter semester at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. Five cognitive factors-acquisition, crystallization, realization, synchronization, and validation-are present throughout a collaborative project. The relative effort expended in each of the cognitive factors varies significantly during a projectpsilas development. This study presents a new knowledge based perspective for evaluating and measuring software engineering processes.