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Tools and Technologies

In this course, you will use industry-standard software engineering tools to manage projects, collaborate with your team, maintain source code, and document your work. These technologies were selected because they reflect the workflows and practices commonly used by professional software development teams.

Accessibility

If you need accessibility information or accommodation support related to course technologies, review the Technology Accommodations page and connect with Disability Resources and Services and the instructor if additional support would be helpful.

Jira​

Jira is an enterprise-grade Agile project management platform developed by Atlassian. It is widely used by software companies to plan projects, manage product backlogs, organize Scrum sprints, track bugs, assign work, and monitor project progress. Throughout this course, you will use Jira to manage your capstone project and gain experience with professional Agile development practices.

Jira Software Scrum Board

Jira is an enterprise-grade project management platform developed by Atlassian. Atlassian publishes accessibility documentation, including WCAG conformance reports and VPAT documents, and states that it is committed to conforming to WCAG 2.2 AA. Jira is designed to support common assistive technologies, including screen readers, keyboard navigation, browser zoom, and high-contrast display settings.

Atlassian accessibility documentation is available here:

Jira Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations​

The use of Jira does not change the learning objectives of this course. Students who require accommodations should work with Disability Resources and Services and the instructor to determine appropriate accommodations.

Click to expand: Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations may include:

  • Blind/Low Vision: Students may use Jira with screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver. Browser zoom, high-contrast modes, and accessible written documentation may also be used.
  • Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Captions or transcripts may be provided for instructional videos. Project communication can be provided in written form through Jira comments, email, Canvas, or team chat.
  • Keyboard-Only Users: Students may use keyboard navigation and keyboard shortcuts where supported by Jira and the browser.
  • Speech-to-Text Users: Students may use speech recognition software to create, edit, and comment on Jira issues.
  • Students with Limited or No Speech: Students may participate through written communication, Jira comments, documentation, email, Canvas, or team chat instead of relying only on verbal communication.
  • Color Blindness: Course instructions and project expectations should not rely solely on color-coded Jira statuses or labels. Text labels, issue names, and status names should also be used.
  • Cognitive or Learning Disabilities: Students may use structured templates, checklists, written instructions, consistent workflows, and additional time when appropriate.
  • Motor Disabilities: Students may use assistive input devices, adaptive keyboards, switch devices, eye-tracking tools, or other technologies compatible with modern web browsers.

Jira Alternatives Considered​

Several alternatives were considered, but Jira was selected because it best supports the professional Agile software engineering practices used in this course.

  • Broadcom Rally: A legacy enterprise Agile platform that has seen declining adoption compared to Jira. It is overly complex for small student teams, has a steep learning curve, requires significant administrative overhead, and offers little advantage over Jira for a semester-long capstone course.
  • GitHub Projects: Integrates well with source code but lacks Jira's robust Scrum features, sprint planning, backlog management, burndown reports, and instructor-focused project analytics. It is better suited for lightweight issue tracking than the enterprise Agile workflows students are expected to learn for professional software development.
  • Trello: Easy to learn and suitable for simple Kanban task tracking, but lacks built-in Agile project management features, detailed reporting, and scalability needed for semester-long software engineering projects. It is primarily designed for lightweight task management rather than the structured Agile processes commonly used in industry.

GitHub​

GitHub Pull Request

GitHub is a web-based platform used for version control and collaborative software development. It allows multiple team members to work on the same codebase simultaneously, track changes, and manage project workflows efficiently. In this course, you will use GitHub to host your project repositories, manage code versions, and collaborate with your team members.

Merge Conflict in Jetbrains IDE

Docusaurus​

  • Docusaurus Advantages: Lightweight, open-source website builder that transforms project documentation into professional-grade websites without needing to know React, JavaScript, CSS, or HTML.
  • Modern Documentation Needs: Modern software projects require documentation that supports version control, collaborative editing, automatic deployment, and professional workflows.
  • Professional Development Benefits: Docusaurus site provides automatically deployed, permanently accessible, version-controlled, and professionally formatted documentation, mirroring industry standards and providing real-world experience.

Technology Specifications​

This course requires the use of Canvas, including access to materials and assignment submission. On-campus computer labs have resumed normal operations and are available for student use. Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi-access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources webpage. The university will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access. Internet Essentials from Comcast provides the option to purchase a computer for $150 and high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month, plus tax. The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) is available to purchase Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, and other internet services. Qualified households can receive a temporary monthly credit of up to $50/month toward their Internet service and leased Internet equipment until the program's funding runs out.