COMP3005J Agile Processes

Academic Year 2021/2022

This module takes a strictly objective view of agile methods, enabling the students to retain the best agile principles and practices. We analyse agile methods in depth and show how to benefit from them. This will make the student a better developer, equipped to deal with the challenges of ambitious software projects. This module cuts beyond the agile methodology hype and we teach students the fundamental agile concepts that span a wide range of methodologies. The module analyses the key agile ideas, their benefits, their limitations, and how best to take advantage of them in order to enhance students' software skills and show employers that the student have mastered an essential component of today's IT industry. This module is divided into six parts:
1) The Agile manifesto and the context of agile methods
2) Agile principles
3) Agile roles
4) Agile practices
5) Agile artifacts
6) Agile assessment

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

This module introduces students to Agile Processes that will equip them with awareness of the issues surrounding the profession of Software Engineering. We will teach students how to efficiently deal with the challenges of ambitious software projects. At this stage in their undergraduate program, the students will have had extensive experience in programming and now, is the time to introduce them to the project management methodologies and how to communicate their work to technical and non-technical audience. We analyse the key agile ideas, their benefits, their limitations, and how best to take advantage of them to enhance the students’ software skills and show employers that they have mastered an essential component of today's IT industry.

Indicative Module Content:

1) The Agile manifesto, principles, methods, and values.
2) Agile principles
3) Agile roles
4) Agile practices
5) Agile artifacts
6) Agile assessment: detailed discussion on the final assessment on the agile methods (i.e.among agile ideas, which ones are essentially hyped and useless, which ones are actually harmful, and which ones will truly help you effectively produce high-quality software).

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18

Practical

14

Autonomous Student Learning

80

Total

112

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Key teaching and learning approaches used in the module: lectures; active/task-based learning; enquiry & problem-based learning. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Keys to success: Do the homework and attend the class!
Cheating will not be tolerated, but working together is encouraged.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Required:
BDIC1034J - College English 1, BDIC1035J - College English 2, BDIC1036J - College English 3, BDIC1037J - College English 4, BDIC1047J - English for Uni Studies BDIC, BDIC1048J - English Gen Acad Purposes BDIC, BDIC2007J - English for Spec Acad Purposes, BDIC2015J - Acad Wrt & Comm Skills


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Assignments of type "Quick questions" in class and case studies for discussion.


Throughout the Trimester n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

100


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The grading scheme used will be Standard Conversion Grade Scale* 40% Pass (70% = A-)

“Agile! The Good, the Hype and the Ugly”, Bertrand Meyer, (Springer International Publishing, April 2014, eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-05155-0, Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-05154-3).

In addition, the lecturer will provide more Bibliography in the lecture notes. However, interested students might wish to consult the following for additional reading:
[1 ] Bachan Anand: Conscires site at agile.conscires.com.
[2] Kent Beck, with Cynthia Andres: Extreme Programming explained — Embrace Change, AddisonWesley, 2005 (Second Edition).
[3] Alistair Cockburn: Agile Software Development, Addison-Wesley, 2001.
[4] Alistair Cockburn: Crystal Clear — A Human-Powered Methodology for Small Teams, AddisonWesley, 2005.
[5] Mike Cohn: Succeeding with Agile, Addison-Wesley, 2010.
[6] Steve Jobs on Apple's resurgence (Andy Reinhardt), at http://allaboutstevejobs.com/sayings/stevejobsinterviews/bw98.php
[7] Mary and Tom Poppendieck: Lean Software Development — An Agile Toolkit, Addison Wesley, 2003.
[8] Winston D. Royce: Managing the Development of Large Software Systems, in Proc. IEEE WESCON, 1970, pages 1-9, at www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2003/cmsc838p/Process/waterfall.pdf
[9] Ken Schwaber: Agile Project Management with Scrum, Microsoft Press, 2004.
[10] James Shore and Shane Warden: The Art of Agile Development, O'Reilly, 2008.
[11] Jeff Sutherland, Rini van Solingen and Telco Rustenberg: The power of Scrum, CreateSpace, 2012.
[12] Jeff Sutherland: Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, tutorial notes, 2013, available at jeffsutherland.com/CSMjsv16.pdf
[13] Kelly Waters: All About Agile site, www.allaboutagile.com.


Name Role
Dr Anca Delia Jurcut Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Eranda Jayatunga Tutor
John O'Meara Tutor
Pasika Ranaweera Tutor
Furqan Rustam Tutor