Integrating the Software Development Lifecycle into Work Integrated Learning:
A Case Study at a South African University of Technology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33830/ijrse.v6i2.1675Keywords:
work-integrated learning, software development life cycle, comparative analysis, higher education, agile models, plan-driven modelsAbstract
Work-integrated learning is crucial for student development, providing hands-on experience in industry placements or project-based learning at higher educational institutions. This article evaluates the impact of adopting a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) process in work-integrated learning software development projects at a University of Technology. Comparing two student projects, the waterfall model resulted in substandard conversion between class diagrams and route classes, while the agile model allowed frequent reviews and modifications, resulting in alignment between class diagrams and route classes. The key difference was the absence of clear directional indicators and comprehensive descriptions of class relationships. It is recommended that students adopt an appropriate SDLC model that meets their specific project needs within a work-integrated learning environment.
References
Al-Saqqa, S., Sawalha, S., & Abdelnabi, H. (2020). Agile software development: Methodologies and trends. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 14(11), 246–269. https://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v14i11.13269
Amraee, B., Medghalchi, L., & Dastani, Z. (2023). A Methodological Comparison of the Processes of Product Design and Architectural Design. The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar, 20(120), 17–28. https://10.2023.358072.5252BAGH10.22034
Bates, M. (2011). Work-integrated learning workloads: The realities and responsibilities. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 12(2), 111–124. https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_12_2_111_124.pdf
Brainy Quote. (2023, July 14). Homepage 2023. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes
Central University of Technology. (2023, September 7). CUT | Information Technology. Information Technology. https://www.cut.ac.za/programmes/information-technology
Choudhury, D., & Nortje, N. (2022). The Hidden Curriculum and Integrating Cure- and Care-Based Approaches to Medicine. HEC Forum, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-020-09424-6
Davies, W. M. (2009). Groupwork as a form of assessment: Common problems and recommended solutions. Higher Education, 58(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9216-y
Deepak, R. D., & Swarnalatha, P. (2019). Continuous Integration-Continuous Security-Continuous Deployment Pipeline Automation for Application Software (CI-CS-CD). International Journal of Computer Science and Software Engineering (IJCSSE), 8(10), 247–253. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2325270550?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
Herawati, S., Negara, Y. D., Febriansyah, H. F., & Fatah, D. A. (2021). Application of the Waterfall Method on a Web-Based Job Training Management Information System at Trunojoyo University Madura. E3S Web of Conferences,Ternate, Indonesia, October 27-28, 328, 04026. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202132804026
Lopez-Fernandez, D., Tovar, E., Raya, L., Marzal, F., & Garcia, J. J. (2019). Motivation of computer science students at universities organized around small groups. IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 08-10, 1120–1127. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2019.8725074
Loubser, N. (2021). Software Engineering for Absolute Beginners: Your Guide to Creating Software Products. In Software Engineering for Absolute Beginners: Your Guide to Creating Software Products. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/software-engineering-for/9781484266229/html/501322_1_En_BookFrontmatter_OnlinePDF.xhtml
Lucas, P., Fleming, J., & Bhosale, J. (2018). The utility of case study as a methodology for work-integrated learning research. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(3), 215–222. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2227914089?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
Marinova, R., & Momcheva, G. (2019). Survey of Information Technology Undergraduate Degree Programs in Canada. 2019 IEEE Canadian Conference of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CCECE ,Canada May 04-08, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCECE.2019.8861715
Merritt, K., & Zhao, S. (2022). Software Design and Development of an Appointment Booking System: A Design Study. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST, 420 LNICST, 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95593-9_21
Navita. (2017). A Study on Software Development Life Cycle & its Model. International Journal of Engineering Research in Computer Science and Engineering , 4(9), 2320–2394. https://www.technoarete.org/common_abstract/pdf/IJERCSE/v4/i9/Ext_96780.pdf
Nugroho, H., Hendriyanto, R., & Tisamawi, K. (2018). Application for Marketplace Agricultural Product. International Journal of Applied Information Technology, 2(02), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.25124/ijait.v2i02.1286
Pearson, C., & Daff, S. (2011). Collaborative delivery of work-integrated learning to Indigenous Australians in a remote community. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 12(1994). https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_12_2_125_145.pdf
Powell, S., Tindal, I., & Millwood, R. (2008). Personalized learning and the Ultraversity experience. Interactive Learning Environments, 16(1). https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301020321.pdf
Ruehl, K., & Klise, K. (2021). Short-term results versus long-term impact: Applying software development best practices to scientific software (No. SAND2021-14621C). In Scien (Vol. 3). Nature Publishing Groups. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1899459
Saeedi, K., & Visvizi, A. (2021). Software development methodologies, HEIs, and the digital economy. Education Sciences, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020073
Salve, S. M., Samreen, S. N., & Khatri-Valmik, N. (2018). A Comparative Study on Software Development Life Cycle Models. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 5(2), 696–700. https://www.irjet.net/archives/V5/i2/IRJET-V5I2154.pdf
Shylesh, S. (2017). A Study of Software Development Life Cycle Process Models. In National Conference on Reinventing Opportunities in Management, IT, and Social Sciences ,SIMS Mangalore, India, April 23-24, , 534–541. https://doi.org/10.26483/ijarcs.v8i1.2844
Suryantara, I. G. N., & Andry, J. F. (2018). Development of Medical Record With Extreme Programming SDLC. International Journal of New Media Technology, V(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.31937/ijnmt.v5i1.706
Tashildar, A., Shah, N., Gala, R., Giri, T., & Chavhan, P. (2020). Application development using flutter. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, 2(8), 1262–1266. https://www.academia.edu/43974013/APPLICATION_DEVELOPMENT_USING_FLUTTER
Zainal, Z. (2007). Case study as a research method. Jurnal Kemanusiaan Bil, 5(1). https://jurnalkemanusiaan.utm.my/index.php/kemanusiaan/article/view/165/158
Zuzek, T., Gosar, Z., Kusar, J., & Berlec, T. (2020). Adopting agile project management practices in non-software SMEs: A case study of a slovenian medium-sized manufacturing company. Sustainability, 12(21), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219245
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mpho Mbele, James Swart

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Content Licensing, Copyright, and Permissions
1. License
International Journal of Research in STEM Education (IJRSE) adopts the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) as the optimal license for the publication, distribution, use, and reuse of scholarly works for non-commercial purposes.
The non-commercial use of the article will be governed by this license, which allows others to share and adapt the work provided proper attribution is given to the author(s) and the journal.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC 4.0
2. Author's Warranties
The author warrants that the article is original, written by the stated author(s), has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright vested exclusively in the author, is free of any third-party rights, and that all necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author(s).
3. User Rights
The International Journal of Research in STEM Education aims to disseminate published articles as freely as possible. Under the Creative Commons license, users are permitted to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work for non-commercial purposes only, provided that proper attribution is given to the author(s) and this journal.
4. Rights of Authors
Authors retain the following rights:
- Copyright and proprietary rights related to the article, such as patent rights.
- The right to use the substance of the article in future works (e.g., lectures, books).
- The right to reproduce the article for personal purposes.
- The right to self-archive the article.
- The right to enter into separate, additional non-exclusive contractual arrangements for the distribution of the article’s published version (e.g., posting to an institutional repository or publishing it in a book), with acknowledgment of its initial publication in IJRSE.
If the author has a non-exclusive publishing contract with another publisher under a more restrictive license, the author still retains all rights to republish or distribute the work elsewhere, including commercially, as the author is not bound by the license conditions imposed on the journal.
5. Co-Authorship
If the article has multiple authors, the signatory of this agreement warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to sign this agreement on their behalf and agrees to inform all co-authors of the terms of this agreement.
6. Termination
This agreement may be terminated by either the author or IJRSE with two months’ notice if the other party has materially breached this agreement and failed to remedy such breach within one month after receiving written notice.
No breach or violation of this agreement will cause automatic termination or affect the license granted to IJRSE.
7. Royalties
This agreement entitles the author to no royalties or other fees. To the extent legally permissible, the author waives the right to collect royalties in respect of any use of the article by IJRSE or its sublicensees.
8. Miscellaneous
IJRSE will publish the article (or have it published) once the editorial process has been successfully completed.
The journal reserves the right to edit the article for style, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, referencing, and consistency as deemed appropriate.
The author acknowledges that the article will be made publicly accessible, and such access will be free of charge for readers.






