using agile in the classroom
DESCRIPTION
Using Agile in the Classroom - presented at Online News Association 2014.TRANSCRIPT
Using Agile in the ClassroomCindy Royal, Associate ProfessorTexas State Universitycindyroyal.com @cindyroyal
Agile
“able to move quickly and easily”
Agile
“method of project management characterized by the division of tasks into short phases of work and frequent reassessment and adaptation of plans.”
Agile Manifesto
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.
From the Agile Manifesto - http://agilemanifesto.org/
Traditional Approach
Waterfall development
Complete one phase before the next
No plan to revisit phases
Why Agile?
Development is expensive and time-consuming.
Building software is more like an art, requires creativity.
Teams need to be empowered; collaboration is integral.
Development often requires customers to be involved in the process.
Changing requirements
No clear completion. Development goes on forever.
Agile methodologies help create environments for these types of characteristics to thrive.
Phrases Associated with Agile
Rapid
Adaptable
Quality-Driven
Cooperative
Iterative
It’s not a process. It’s a philosophy, a set of values.
Small teams, spending short timeframes, building small things.
Integrating regularly
Different approaches. Scrum is a popular application of Agile.
12 Principles
Customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of useful software
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months)
Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers
Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted
Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location)
12 Principles
Working software is the principal measure of progress
Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential
Self-organizing teams
Regular adaptation to changing circumstances
Terminology
Sprint – an interaction. The sprint starts with a sprint planning meeting. At the end of the sprint there is a sprint review meeting, followed by a sprint retrospective meeting. Product is designed, coded and tested during the sprint.
Scrum meetings: daily, short, productive. Stand up.
Backlog: List of features; there is a product backlog and a sprint backlog
User Stories: how to describe features
Estimates
Ranked and Weighted List; Roadmap
Prototype
Shippable Product Increments
Design Thinking
Lean Startup
In the Classroom
Semester/quarter well suited for 3-4 sprints
Short timeframe for learning and development
Teach collaboration
Regular feedback and assessment
Peer feedback
Client feedback throughout, if applicable
Embracing change/flexibility
Incorporate new learning
TXStateofChange
SXTXState.com
SXTXStories.com
This semester
Three sprints, plus final project Coding Data Charting
Individual and group projects
Classroom scrum meetings
Flipped classroom – training is done via video tutorials and other resources; classroom time is for work, discussion, problem-solving
Work demos
Review progress and adjust after each sprint. Helps build toward final project.
Students quickly saw the value of these approaches for this class, but also for the bigger picture of innovation in any organization.
Agile Resources
The J-School Scrum: Bringing Agile Development Into the Classroom, PBSMediaShift, 2014 - http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2014/01/the-j-school-scrum-bringing-agile-development-into-the-classroom/
The Agile Classroom by Sarah Dillard, 2012 - http://sarahdillard.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/the-agile-classroom/
Managed Chaos: How I Use Agile in the Classroom - http://www.jacobsingh.name/content/managed-chaos-how-i-use-agile-and-scrum-classroom
The Lean Startup - http://theleanstartup.com/
The Stanford d.School - http://dschool.stanford.edu/dgift/
The Art of Agile Development (book) - http://www.amazon.com/The-Agile-Development-James-Shore/dp/0596527675
Agile Software Development Guide - http://martinfowler.com/agile.html
Introduction to Scrum - http://scrumtrainingseries.com/Intro_to_Scrum/Intro_to_Scrum.htm