The influence of COCOMO on software engineering education and training

As the discipline of software engineering has matured, COCOMO (constructive cost model) has evolved, both in response to and as a leading indicator of changes in software engineering methods and techniques. This paper traces the evolution of the COCOMO cost estimation models as they have evolved from 1981 to 2005. In particular, COCOMO 81, Ada COCOMO, and COCOMO II are presented. COCOMO has been, and continues to be a vehicle for introducing and illustrating software engineering methods and techniques. Emphasis is placed on the role COCOMO models have played, and continue to play, in software engineering education and training.