Software sustainability is becoming critical due to the increased use of software systems. Despite gaining attention from researchers over the last decade, there remains no consensus within the software engineering community on how to approach sustainability. We believe that this confusion arises from an ambiguity regarding the integration of sustainability into the software development process, with many suggesting its consideration as a component of software quality. In this paper, we advocate for a shift in perspective, emphasizing the importance of considering the development process of software systems. We propose that sustainability should be the starting point and cornerstone of software development.

The relevance of sustainable software is growing, drawing attention from both academic researchers and practitioners. Understanding its impact on end-users' perceived quality, often termed quality-in-use, is crucial. This paper aims to explore the relationship between software sustainability and quality-in-use as reported in literature. We conducted a systematic mapping study using Scopus, one of the largest peer-reviewed databases, to explore this relationship. Twenty-seven papers were selected and analyzed based on publication year, source, application domain, research type, empirical type, sustainability dimensions, quality-in-use attributes, and the relationship between sustainability and quality-in-use. Results indicate this area of study is in its early stages, with few papers published annually. Conferences were the primary publication channels, with healthcare being the most examined application domain. Papers were categorized into solution proposals and evaluation research, with over half undergoing empirical evaluation. The environmental dimension, particularly power consumption, was the most studied sustainability dimension. Quality-in-use was explored through various attributes, with 63% of the selected papers identifying a relationship between sustainability and quality-in-use. This mapping study highlights the lack of a common definition within the software engineering community regarding software sustainability, and calls for further research to clarify the impact of sustainable software products on quality-in-use.

Sustainability has become a significant concern in software systems like websites, driven by their increasing adoption and environmental impact. As website usage grows, so does their energy consumption and carbon footprint, affecting their environmental sustainability. Understanding the relationship be-tween usability and environmental sustainability is essential for designing web sites that meet user needs while minimizing environmental impact. This paper examines this relationship, focusing on popular sports websites due to their substantial internet traffic. We evaluated ten English-language sports web sites for their environmental sustainability and usability using Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics. Our assessment considered factors such as Ecological Accommodation, Content, Operation, Multimedia, and HTTP Requests. The findings reveal a strong negative correlation between usability and sustainability, suggesting that improvements in usability may increase environmental impact and vice versa. This study's insights can inform website de-velopers in creating digital platforms that are both usable and environmentally sustainable.

This Research Full Paper presents findings on Swedish computer science students’ perception of learning online during the Covid-19 pandemic at a mid-sized Swedish university. Due to the pandemic, classes in Swedish universities moved abruptly to an online format during the spring of 2020. Content analysis was used to analyze 10 interviews with third-year bachelor students. The results were discussed in the light of the community of inquiry theoretical framework. We found that when learning online, students communicated and collaborated via a class-wide Discord server, an online communication platform originally developed for the gaming community. The use of Discord was seen to change the students’ expectations of student-instructor interaction. The students’ frequency of questions to the instructor decreased drastically when learning in the online environment compared to the on-campus environment, both during live-lectures and outside of class. The students perceived instructor engagement and presence in both live and recorded lectures as more important for their learning online than in the on-campus setting and wanted more interaction during lectures. Discord created a community for the students. However, the social aspects of learning were still missed. Many interviewees found it hard to keep focus and struggled with self-discipline and identifying a work structure. Clear benefits given for online learning were flexibility and convenience of time and place. Students also experienced group work to be more efficient online.