This paper describes the integration of the Personal Software Process (PSP) into an introductory database course in an MIS curriculum. PSP is a highly disciplined, process-based approach that serves to guide an individual programmer's activities during the development of a software system. Developed at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, PSP defines how to use process principles to plan, track, and analyze personal programming work; measure effort, software product size and defects; manage software quality; and improve personal programming practices. Although generally used to augment programming courses in computer science, the PSP is more generally applicable to software development in a variety of contexts. This paper discusses an introductory database course for which PSP was adapted and integrated in the database development process. Student and instructor perceptions concerning the revised course are discussed . .
William I. Bullers Jr.