Using Formal Specification in the Acquisition of Information Systems: Educating Information Systems Professionals

Research into the industrial application of formal methods has concentrated almost exclusively on the speci cation of software systems in highrisk or safety critical applications|thus, attention has been directed to technical problems with technical systems. The Formal Methods Research Group at Curtin University has, however, been addressing the potential practical application of Z and Object-Z in the development of information systems within a \real-world" commercial context. In this paper, I discuss educational issues associated with the use of formal speci cation, in particular Z and Object-Z, within the commercial Information Systems (IS) domain. From an educational perspective, I report three speci cation case studies undertaken by means of action research: one in an arti cial setting, two in a commercial setting; and the development of a training and technology transfer programme applicable within the IS domain.