Agile and ScrumAn Application for Education

Dave Dalsveen CSM

In terms of software development, from the need to integrate change into the software project development cycle.

Group of developers created a manifesto to describe what was needed.

Where does Agile come from?

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Working software over comprehensive documentation. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Responding to change over following a plan. That is, while there is value in the items on

the right, we value the items on the left more. Authors:

Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward CunninghamMartin Fowler, James Grenning, Jim Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron JeffriesJon Kern, Brian Marick, Robert C. Martin, Steve Mellor, Ken SchwaberJeff Sutherland, Dave Thomas

© 2001, the above authorsthis declaration may be freely copied in any form, but only in its entirety through this notice. 

Manifesto for Agile Software Development

Scrum is a way to facilitate Agile project development.

Scrum involves specific roles.◦ Scrum Master : Makes sure the team is following

Scrum principals.◦ Product owner: Communicates link between the

team and the stakeholders or product consumers.◦ Team: Responsible for delivering the product.

Scrum

Scrum is a way to re-start(see references note 2)

Scrum is a Rugby term:•A way to restart the game when some event occurs.•A linear (in software development , waterfall) model does not allow for change during the project.

•Scrum is an agile process that allows us to focus on delivering the highest business value in the shortest time.

•It allows us to rapidly and repeatedly inspect actual working software (every two weeks to one month).

•The business sets the priorities. Teams self-organize to determine the best way to deliver the highest priority features.

•Every two weeks to a month anyone can see real working software and decide to release it as is or continue to enhance it for another sprint.

Scrum in 100 words (See References Note 2)

Instructor or Customer forms a Product Backlog with the students help.◦ Create a document with a set of user stories or

requirements List of items needed to be completed for a project.

◦ Prioritize the items on the list. Can be numeric or verbal(high, medium, low)

◦ Estimate the time required to complete the task.

Applying Scrum to Education

Identify Customers ; users of the product.◦ Each student writes down who will use the

product and how it will be used.◦ Each student then shares their list of users with

others.◦ Most commonly occurring user is often the

primary user.

Interview Users.

Where do User Stories come from?

May contain technical details May contain more general user stories.

◦ I want to be able to modify the data online.◦ I want to see the building viewed from three

different perspectives.

Product Backlog

Item #: Story Priority Sprint #Est. Time

(hrs)Complete

d? Notes:

1Design user login tables and create

page format, login interface

2

Design dealer database tables and finish logic for backend creation

page

3 Create artwork for artist page.

4 Code Error Reporting Class

5 Build a listing page with datatables

Sample excel spreadsheet with beginnings of a product backlog.

Product Planning for Lab Proposal

Item #: Story Priority Sprint #Est. Time

(hrs)Complete

d? Notes:

1 Need list of potential Grant sources 2

2 Identify list of private contributers. 2

3 Create model of proposed lab. 1

4 Determine a budget for the lab. 2

5create a statement of need for the

lab. 1

Don’t need technology to do Scrum. Nice to get away from the computer for a

while. Talk to people. Whiteboard and sticky notes can suffice. For online access, though, excel works too.

Product backlog could also be kept on a Whiteboard…

The method was first coined by James Grenning

Mike Cohn’s Online Planning poker at http://www.planningpoker.com/

Can also purchase cards, or make your own with color crayons or markers.◦ People enjoy doing non-technical stuff!

Each deck includes a full suit of cards (?, 0, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100) which represents units of time.

Planning Poker for Estimates

? Means ’I don’t know’. Coffee cup means break time(students like

that one). Numbers mean whatever units you assign.

Could be hours, minutes, etc. Students estimate how long each item from

the product backlog will take by placing a card face down on the table.

Planning Poker(cont).

Each person then flips their card over, and explains the reason for the length of time chosen.

This encourages estimates by all, not just the most vocal in the group

Start with the largest estimate and work down ..why?

Planning Poker

Person with largest estimate may have thought of something others hadn’t.

Won’t change their minds about sharing it if someone with a shorter estimate goes first.

Start with largest estimate

Actual Product Backlog with estimates (person-hours in this case)

Students’ learning is the real product. Product Inspection at normal intervals-

every two weeks.◦ Informal assessment◦ Meetings in groups of 3-5 individuals.

Teams self-organize. Leaders emerge.

Scrum in the classroom

Makes sure teams are following the process. Attends Meetings.

◦ This could be done with conference call for remote individuals (online).

Tries to remove impediments the team may encounter.◦ This may include getting the team information

they need – training.

Teacher acts as ScrumMaster

Standup meetings◦ What did you do since yesterday?◦ What will you do today?◦ Problems you ran into (that prevented you from

accomplishing a task) ?◦ Should only last 10 to 15 minutes.

Daily Scrum Meetings

1) What I did: Researched Main Street organizations, found a site that might be helpful for everyone that lists main street organizations by region. Played around with WordPress a little, found a website host where I can install WordPress on at some point.

2) What I will be doing: More research on Main Street organizations. Install Wordpress on the website.

3) Problems I ran into: There isn't a whole lot of information out there on Main Street organizations. I found what I think is probably good stuff, but I don't see a WHOLE lot of stuff out there.

Actual Sample Daily Scrum Input.

What did you do yesterday(last week)?◦ I made a relational model of the database diagram, look at

the data provided by the customer and tried to envision requirements for the database.

What will you do today(next week)? ◦ Review relational models with cohorts and decide on one.◦ Build the database and start working on front end

interface. Are there any impediments in your way(list them)?

◦ I'm not really understanding the customer’s data fully. ◦ Having an illness is has made working on the project

difficult.

Another Daily Scrum Example

Once the product backlog is finished, the sprint is planned.

Sprint items are taken from the product backlog and added to sprint backlog.

Once a sprint starts, the sprint backlog may not be modified.

The sprint lasts two weeks, no longer. Can track with a sprint burn-down chart.

Sprint Planning

Product Backlog Story Sprint Task Responsible Person

Want a login page for my website Encrypt and Salt code Penny

Create the Login web page Tor

Create a user database Judy

Test Feature

Want a drop down list of available documents on a page.Create a database of doc names Judy

Code a JSP page to create dynamic drop-down. Tor

Sample Sprint Backlog

Sample Burn-Down Chart from a Sprint. Shows Sprint Did NOT Finish.

Tracking Progress With Burn-Down Chart.

Sprint Review Takes Place. Product Owner, Scrum Master, Team, any

Interested individuals attend. We invite the customer if possible. Team , Scrum Master, Product owner Presents

the Product Items Completed in the Sprint and states which items have not been completed..

Any unfinished items are placed in another sprint(not marked complete in the product backlog).

Product backlog is re-visited and updated.

End Of Sprint: Sprint Review

A deeper discussion of what went well and what didn’t during the Sprint.

Determine improvements that can be made to improve efficiency.

Only the ScrumMaster(teacher) and the team attend this meeting.

Sprint Retrospective

Students and teacher work together to achieve learning.

Students take charge of their own learning. Students learn to work together. Teachers find out how much students can

do. Customers feel a part of the project, and get

excited about it.

Advantages of this method

Some students may let others do a lion’s share of the work.

It can get out of control if students are given too much freedom of choice.

Team members don’t always mesh.◦ Can be difficult to re-organize teams without hurt

feelings.◦ If there are problems, sometimes it is better for

the teacher to force re-organization of every team , rather than pick out individuals to move around.

Disadvantages

Local Dunn County Apprentice Program was a perfect fit.

Students designed websites for local businesses.

http://westcap.org Live site designed by a small team of

students with control of their project. Customer was cooperative and part of the

project. This is important.

Results!

Email ddalsveen@cvtc.edu Sample product backlog spreadsheet and

sprint backlog with sprint burndown chart spreadsheet available with this presentation at the STEM website.

Please fill out the evaluation at www.league.org/stemtech/evaluation

Thank you!

Questions?

1) http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/ Mike Cohn’s website2) Note: These PowerPoint slides presented here were taken from Mike

Cohn’s presentation. http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/presentations/30-an-overview-of-scrum

ANY USE OF THIS MATERIAL DOES NOT INDICATE AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR (Creative Commons License).

3) http://www.scrumalliance.org/pages/scrum_student_resources4) http://

assets.scrumfoundation.com/downloads/2/scrumpapers.pdf?1285932052 Jeff Sutherland

5) Agile Software Development Ecosystems by Jim Highsmith6) Agile Software Development with Scrum by Ken Schwaber and

Mike Beedle7) Scrum and The Enterprise by Ken Schwaber8) Succeeding with Agile by Mike Cohn

References and Suggested Reading