Scrum Methodology in Higher Education: Innovation in Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Abstract

The present paper aims to detail the experience developed in a classroom of English Studies from the Spanish University of Málaga, where an alternative project-based learning methodology has been implemented. Such methodology is inspired by scrum sessions widely extended in technological companies where staff members work in teams and are assigned tasks within long-termed projects. Students were initially reluctant and afraid to work in teams but, as the experience advanced, their point of view was changing. Thus they positively stated that this methodology encouraged themselves to participate and to change ideas, with a deeper feeling of empathy, self-organisation and self-knowledge. At the end, most of the students declared they would participate again in a similar activity. Hence, considering the opinions from the students (and also from the teachers), and after observing the whole experience and analyzing the documents generated in an electronic portfolio, we think this method can be considered as a good proposal to accomplish a teaching-learning process of high quality at universities for three main reasons: first, it improves the capacity of using the knowledge in a disciplined, critical and creative way; second, it promotes the coexistence in heterogeneous human groups; and third, it develops the capacity of thinking, living and acting with complete autonomy.