Software engineering (SE) has been a term in the lexicon for almost 50 years, and yet a definition that is clear and acceptable to everyone still eludes us. This does not stop the drive to educate and train new software engineers across the globe. With the proliferation of various kinds of software-intensive systems, the challenge continues to not only define but also foster the software engineers most capable of contributing to real-world system development and evolution. The ideas, methods, techniques, and tools used to educate people who can develop and maintain software systems to meet schedule, cost and quality constraints have been the focus of the CSEE&T conference series. In 2016, we aim to assess SE education over the past 50 years and also rejuvenate it by addressing questions such as “What is next?” Along this line, we seek educators, trainers and practitioners to present the latest methods, processes and tools that they use to foster predictable software engineers in a rapidly changing and unpredictable environment.

Various process models and organizational recommendations have been proposed. In SE education, some of these find an easy entry into classrooms; others cannot realistically be employed in student projects. Practitioners can bring credible experience to the classroom, but students must also gain their own experience. They must learn how to accommodate constraints such as limited budgets, deadlines and imperfect facilities as well as how to work with professionals in other disciplines who are also a vital part of a project team. Additionally, students must understand the importance of communication throughout a software life-cycle as a whole. This includes communication with their peers, other practitioners and managers on their project, and stakeholders who often have distinct backgrounds and concerns. Consequently, CSEE&T 2016 focuses on teaching collaboration, communication, team formation, and other skills needed by software engineering practitioners in the context of modern software system development. Innovative approaches are particularly welcome.