Agile development in software engineering instruction

Abstract

Agile methods are replacing former, highly systematic project management practices in software development. Many studies have shown that agile methods are already mainstream in the software industry. Academia has incorporated these changes in development practices into education rather reluctantly. Much of higher education still depends on very traditional teaching practices and conventional curricula. In this paper, we describe a series of efforts to bring the agile world fully to ICT education, and discuss results for students and teachers alike. Agile methods can be taught, and moreover, they can also be part of the teaching toolkit. Teachers of agile courses face certain personality requirements: they need to be able to tolerate uncertainty and to be professionally proficient because of demands for flexibility and quick adjustment. The results of using agile methods as course structure, as well as agile planning of course content in small instructor teams have been successful.