Easing the Learning of the Robustness Diagram by Using an Assisted Modeler Tool: An Empirical Study with Ungraduated Students

One of the critical parts of software capstone projects is modeling since students need to learn it to be able to produce largescale and reliable software. UML is considered a de facto standard for software modeling and is widely accepted in education and industry. However, UML is sometimes misused due to discrepancies between different models. Further, most popular modeling tools used in academic environments have numerous weaknesses, including being overly complex, which could result in a cognitive overload. We proposed a hybrid method named Scrumconix as a base to teach software engineering. This method includes the robustness diagram that closes the gap between use case specification and detailed design and code, which is helpful for developers and particularly for students. We also developed a modeler (called Robix) to support and ease the learning of this diagram by applying the diagram rules. We evaluated the Robix modeler with ungraduated students, and we obtained that those who used the Robix modeler during a learning phase had significantly fewer errors in an academic evaluation at applying the diagram rules and using its stereotypes than those who did not use our modeler. Concerning usability and usefulness perception, the Robix modeler had high rates of both factors by the participants. These results encourage us to conduct another study with a larger sample to corroborate the obtained results and corroborate whether the modeler also eases the representation of use case flow in the robustness diagram.