The importance of program Design Patterns training

Design Patterns for Object Oriented Systems constitute an important tool for improving software quality by providing reusable design. Many academic institutions believe in their relevance, and do courses accordingly. This paper explores practitioners' perception of the relevance their patterns knowledge has for their work. The paper also assesses how managers' perception of pattern knowledge conforms with practitioners' perceptions. We found convincing evidence for practitioners' confidence in pattern knowledge and its positive influence on their coding abilities. Based on our findings we claim that training of design patterns is important for practitioners.