Project based learning for DevOps Project based learning for DevOps : School of Computing experiences

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the implementation of DevOps practices in an academic environment, specifically at the School of Computing. The goal is to offer insights into the implementation process alongside the chief challenges that needed to be overcome. DevOps approach to software development is quickly becoming an industry standard, besides its technological aspects such as tools and pipelines, DevOps also brought changes in culture necessitating tight collaboration from team members. Despite it being an industry standard, most universities are yet to include DevOps practices in their curriculums. For this purpose we propose a model for incorporating DevOps practices in universities based on the advances made at the fourth year of studies at the School of Computing, where students were introduced to some CI/CD aspects during the course of a semester long project. We offer some insights into potential ways to better facilitate student collaboration, and ways to guide them towards best practices already realized in the industry for bridging the gap between the academic and corporate environments