Tool Use in Software Modelling Education

An important decision that must be taken by anyone designing a course involving (object oriented software) modelling is what tool support, if any, to use. Options include picking an industrial strength modelling tool, using a tool specifically designed for educational use, or eschewing tool use altogether in favour of pencil and paper. The best answer will depend on many factors, including the prior experience of the students (and staff), the length and organisation of the course, and the learning objectives. Moreover, decisions on tools have an impact on other aspects of course design. In this informal paper, the result of discussion at the MODELS Educators’ Symposium 2013, we survey previous work on this question, discuss our own experience, and draw out some key issues that someone designing a new course involving modelling must consider.