Agile Perspectives in Higher Education

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to outline adaptable practices for the application of agile principles in higher education, further provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the short term, agility can lead to more effective and creative ways to solve problems caused by environmental uncertainty, but in the medium and long term, it can be the basis for developing a modern vision for the successful transformation of the university business models. An empirical study in conditions of remote learning due to the imposed anti-epidemiological measures was conducted using an electronic questionnaire among 105 students from “Tsenov” Academy of Economics—Svishtov. Various aspects of the application of the agile methodologies in education during the COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed, related to the more frequent feedback between students and teachers, to the overall attitude toward enhancing digitalization, and the introduction of hybrid forms of education. The study does not provide a definite answer to the question of students’ readiness to apply agile approaches in teaching and assessment. The probable reason is that some of the agile forms were introduced partially due to the need for a rapid pandemic response. Effective agile university governance entails a combination of a bottom-up approach, in which learners are more motivated and willing to put in more personal effort when they are given more self-organization rights, and a top-down approach, in which the system allows and encourages initiative of teachers to develop interactive teaching and research.