Using an Architecture Reasoning Tool to Teach Software Architecture

The Architecture Expert (ArchE) is a software architecture design assistant under development at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). It embodies knowledge of quality attributes and the relation between the achievement of quality attribute requirements and architecture design. In this paper, we describe the use of ArchE in a graduate level software architecture class at Clemson University. The discussion combines aspects of using ArchE as a tool to produce architectures and using ArchE to teach about architecting. The students were positive about the use of ArchE although critical of ArchE´s immaturity. The instructor was also positive about the use of ArchE.