Emily Oh Navarro

Emily Oh Navarro is a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Informatics at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine. She has been actively involved in software engineering education, focusing on innovative teaching methods and simulation-based learning environments.

Dr. Navarro earned her Ph.D. in Information and Computer Sciences from UC Irvine in 2006, with her dissertation titled "SimSE: A Software Engineering Simulation Environment for Software Process Education." She also holds an M.S. in Information and Computer Sciences and a B.S. in Biological Sciences, both from UC Irvine.

Dr. Navarro's research primarily focuses on software engineering education, particularly using simulation and game-based approaches to teach software processes. Her work centers around SimSE, an educational software engineering simulation environment designed to help students learn and practice software engineering processes in an interactive, graphical setting. She has extensively explored how learning theories can be applied to improve software engineering education, investigating various educational approaches and their effectiveness. Her research demonstrates how simulation environments can overcome the limitations of traditional lectures and small-scale class projects by allowing students to experience complex software engineering processes that would be infeasible to practice in real-world academic settings.

Dr. Navarro's publications reveal a consistent focus on simulation-based learning tools for software engineering education. Her work spans from theoretical explorations of learning theories to practical implementations of educational tools like SimSE and Problems and Programmers. She has conducted multi-site evaluations of her educational tools, demonstrating their effectiveness across different institutions and student populations. Her research shows progression from conceptual frameworks to practical implementations and rigorous evaluations, establishing her as a significant contributor to the field of software engineering education.

Dr. Navarro teaches numerous courses in software engineering and design, including:

• Informatics 43: Introduction to Software Engineering
• Informatics 113: Requirements Analysis and Engineering
• Informatics 117: Project in Software System Design
• Informatics 121: Software Design I
• Informatics 122: Software Design II
• Informatics 191: Senior Design Project
• ICS 45J: Programming in Java
• ICS 139W: Critical Writing on Information Technology
• SWE 241P: Applied Data Structures and Algorithms
• SWE 245P: GUI Programming
• SWE 246P: Mobile Programming
• SWE 272P: Project Management

Her teaching methodology reflects her research interests, emphasizing practical experience with software engineering processes through simulation-based learning. While specific information about her advising and grants is limited in available materials, her extensive research on educational methods suggests involvement in educational research projects and likely mentorship of students in software engineering projects.

Dr. Navarro's primary research contribution is the SimSE project, which has evolved through multiple iterations and evaluations. This simulation environment represents a significant innovation in software engineering education, addressing the critical gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in software process management. Her work continues to influence how software engineering is taught at UC Irvine and potentially at other institutions through her multi-site evaluations.