Talk at the 11th International Conference on Software Engineering Research and Practice, SERP 2013, at the WORLDCOMP 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

1. WORLDCOMP 2013
Agile Project-Based
Teaching and Learning
Dagmar Monett
Talk at the 11th International Conference on
Software Engineering Research and Practice, SERP 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013

2. How do students learn best?
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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3. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, was created 2013
The paper’s word cloud USA, July 22-25,with Tagxedo
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4. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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5.  Module: Project Management (14 ECTS-credits)
 Sub-modules at the BSEL:
- Project and Quality Management (20%)
- Multidisciplinary Lab using Agile techniques
(30%)
 Sub-module at the enterprises/companies:
- Practice Transfer (50%)
(ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System,
1 credit point = 30 hours of study)
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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6. Multidisciplinary Lab using Agile
 Agile Project-based Learning
 Interdisciplinary approach
- Agile  Metaheuristics  TSP
 Agile in general, XP in particular
 44 Semester Credit Hours (1 SCH = 45 Min. of
teaching time)
 Block course (4 blocks)
 Coaching sections
 Agile project development in the Lab (theo + pract)
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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7. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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8. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

9. Four compact teaching blocks
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

10. 6 Semester Credit Hours
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

11. 2 continuous days in PC Lab
16 Semester Credit Hours
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

12. 2 continuous days in PC Lab
16 Semester Credit Hours one month later
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

13. 6 Semester Credit Hours
by the term’s end
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

14. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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15. Example of double credit hour
Duration
in minutes
5
Welcoming, Agenda
20
Theory: Planning game
3
Brainstorming: Examples
20 Theory: Project requirements
2
Advice on planning game
35
Transfer: Planning game
3
5
Sandwich
=
passive
+
active
learning
units
Feedback, Conclusions
90 min.
© digitalart
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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16. The reality of
some passive
learning
units…
© FNO Press
http://www.jerryking.com/
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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17. Double credit hour with teamwork
3rd course block: mainly teamwork in the Lab
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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18. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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19. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© http://freeaninationwallpaper.blogspot.de

20. In parenthesis:
students answering survey
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© http://freeaninationwallpaper.blogspot.de

21. 3 releases
No much time available each week (4 SCH)
No special didactic method or coaching
Some projects incomplete by term’s end
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© http://freeaninationwallpaper.blogspot.de

22. 2 releases (former students’ feedback)
Intensive work in the Lab (2 x 16 SCH)
Several didactic methods + coaching + tools
All course projects successfully finished!
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© http://freeaninationwallpaper.blogspot.de

23. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© StuartMiles

24. Course/Teaching evaluation
 Anonymous questionnaire independent of formal
faculty evaluations
 Questions (16) catalogue with descriptive scale
values
 Four major topics:
- course and project requirements
- teaching and coaching
- how students learned
- Agile techniques
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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25. Ex. topic: Agile techniques
Descriptive values available:
very much
very helpful
excessive
D. Monett
normal
normal
adequate
very little
irritating
insufficient
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
abstention
abstention
abstention
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26. Averages (4 editions, N=103)
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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27. Averages (4 editions, N=103)
time/requirements: normal/realistic
TSP & ACO:
motivating
quality/
productivity:
improved
very much
D. Monett
course:
motivating
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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28. Averages (SS2011 vs. SS2012)
11
12
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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29. Few students still “behind”…
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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30. But…
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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31. D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© StuartMiles

32. Most mentioned positive comments
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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© StuartMile

33. Tools: a big plus!
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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34. Conclusions
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
© luigidiamanti
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35. Teach Agile in a
blocked course
and project-based!
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© podpad

36. Use a sandwich structure:
combine passive with active learning units!
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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© Rawich

37. What you get
Higher students‘ engagement
Favorable team work
Active in-class participation
Skills‘ improvement
Successful projects
Student satisfaction
…
© thaikrit
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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38. Students: “We learn better with project-based Agile!”
D. Monett
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, July 22-25, 2013
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