| Summary: | Software testing is an essential activity in the software development process. Moreover, it covers a large part of the development costs involved. And, as the software tester is a key player in the testing activities that occur throughout the software lifecycle, the efficacy of such testing depends very much on his or her experience, efficiency, skills, and intuition. Given this importance of software testing, educators face a significant challenge when teaching and equipping students with the testing methodologies, skills, and knowledge that are in line with industry needs. The aim of this paper is to examine the current state-of-practice with respect to teaching Software Verification and Validation (V&V) in the accredited Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE) programs offered in Australian universities. An online survey was conducted to obtain the required data from these universities. The same online survey was used to obtain data from the Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP) program. Nine universities responded and the data obtained are compared to the data relating to the CSTP program. Consequently, this paper reports on the differences between the two programs by focusing on the methods of teaching and the coverage of those topics specified within the area of Software V&V Knowledge as it is stated in the ACM Curriculum Guidelines. The survey's results and analysis facilitate the discussion of further details concerning what is lacking in the teaching of each topic for each category. An initial suggestion that would contribute to overcoming this educational shortfall is explained briefly in the Future Work section. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009.
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