The Coventry University SPRINT is a Higher Education focused version of the Google Ventures Sprint. Designed by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, the Google Ventures Sprint is used by companies and organisations across the globe to rapidly solve problems and develop new ideas. The Coventry University SPRINT is designed to allow course teams the time, space, and resource to radically reconsider their offering building upwards from the ideal graduate/customer. The Coventry University SPRINT, in it’s fullest form, takes place over five solid days, and should provide completed course documentation, a prototype design, and stakeholder feedback by the end of the process.

1. dmll.org.uk | dmll@coventry.ac.uk
@disrupt_learn | #disruptedu
Coventry University SPRINT
for Rapid Course Design
Oliver Wood | Learning Innovation Associate
ab5576@coventry.ac.uk | @OllyWoodEdu
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

2. @Disrupt_Learn
#DisruptEdu

3. Oliver Wood
Learning Innovation Associate
Disruptive Media Learning Lab (DMLL)
Email: ab5576@coventry.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)7557 425 534
Tweet: @OllyWoodEdu
Photo by Robothams is licensed for DMLL use.

4. Part One: Background and Overview
Part Two: CU SPRINT Process
Lunch Break (13.00 to 14.00)
Part Three: Practice Makes Perfect
Part Four: Considerations for Facilitation
Photo by Robothams is licensed for DMLL use.

5. #GVSprint
Photo by Gautam Lakum on Unsplash
gv.com/sprint

6. Part One: Background
and Overview

7. The Google Ventures SPRINT is a
“greatest hits of business strategy,
innovation, behaviour science,
design thinking, and more—
packaged into a battle-tested
process that any team can use.”
(Google Ventures 2019)
Photo by David Becker on Unsplash

8. Design Thinking
Empathise Define Ideate Prototype Test
Photo by bonneval sebastien on Unsplash

9. Photo by bonneval sebastien on Unsplash
Design Sprinting
Map Sketch Decide Prototype Test

10. Part Two: CU
SPRINT Process

11. #CUSprint
Photo by Gautam Lakum on Unsplash
flipped.coventry.ac.uk/sprint

12. BSc Disruptive Humanities
BSc Languages and Cultures
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
MSc Nursing (Pre-Reg)
MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg)
MSc Social and Healthcare Leadership and Management
BSc Midwifery
MSc Nursing (Online)
BSc Aviation Management
MSc Leadership for Global Social Development

13. Photo by bonneval sebastien on Unsplash
Coventry University SPRINT
Ideate Map Market Write Test

14. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Day One: Graduate Statement
"The course will equip students to become
innovative, reflective and confident advanced-level
clinical leaders equipped with complex problem-
solving skills in order to manage person-centred
care, ensure evidence-informed practice and shape
enhanced service delivery.”
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice

15. Day One: SWOT Analysis
Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats facing the course. This activity is
designed to ensure we don’t ‘throw baby out with
the bath water’.
For a more positive spin, SOAR analysis may be
used in place of SWOT.

16. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Day One: Theme Generation
Identify key thematic threads (not modules or
topics) that run throughout the course.
Discuss key University pillars from the corporate
plan and education strategy.
Discuss any industry/accrediting body
requirements.

17. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Day Two: Course Structure
Map themes across the chronology of the course to
produce a course-level timeline.
Solid line = explicitly taught and assessed
Dashed line = implicit learning/application
No line = theme not explored or assessed

18. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Day Two: Assessment Map
Map assessments to themes and develop the circuit
board diagram.
CA = Core Applied
C = Core
CL = Course Level
FA = Formative

19. MSc Social and Healthcare Leadership and Management (2018)

21. Screenshot by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is Copyright
Day Three: Marketing
Develop a mock website / prospectus for the
course.
Explore the unique selling points of the course and
communicate them in simple english. Think like
your prospective students. Why should they choose
Coventry University?

22. Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Day Three: Paperwork
Collective writing of Part A of the Course
Specification Documentation.
Remember: Part A is the public facing
documentation and is covered by CMA rules. Only
write what you are sure you are able to deliver.

23. Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Day Four: Paperwork
Complete the remainder of Part A and complete Part
B paperwork. Transfer the circuit board diagram
into table form within the documentation.
Group Quality Unit are extremely helpful to be
involved at this stage.

24. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Day Five (Optional): Test
Spend the day bringing together key stakeholders
to share their thoughts on the course you have
designed. Stakeholders should usually include
students. It is also useful to bring in staff from
different disciplines and/or teaching approaches.

25. Photo by bonneval sebastien on Unsplash
Module µSPRINT
Needs Ideas Solutions Prototype Test

27. Lunch Break

28. Part Three: Practice
Makes Perfect

29. Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
Crazy Eights
Create eight solution sketches for how to
decolonise the curriculum within your course/
module.
You have eight minutes in total.

30. Photo by Disruptive Media Learning Lab is CC BY-NC-SA 2019
Create a Course Statement
Produce a one-sentence statement that sums up the
intended outcomes/graduates from your course or
module.
Start with the following stem sentence
The course/module will produce…

31. Part Four: Considerations
for Facilitation

32. You are not responsible for the
outcome of the course. Your
role is to facilitate the process.
Photo by David Becker on Unsplash

33. Photo by Jessica To'oto'o on Unsplash
Facilitator Expectations
Willingness to compromise. There will be spaces in which
participants disagree with some of the ideas proposed.
Attendance. Each section focuses on a different element and
participants need to be involved throughout.
Focus. Focus on the problem and remove any distractions
from the space. This includes a no email rule, and if you must
make a phone call leave the space to do so.

34. Facilitator Expectations
Time. Ensure participants have time to unwind and clear their
minds at the end of each day.
Contribution. All ideas are equal. If someone has a good
idea, encourage them to share it.
Don’t be Precious. If ideas are suggested which will take
longer to explore, note them down and come back to them
later.
Photo by Jessica To'oto'o on Unsplash

35. Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Facilitator Tips #1
Names – If you don’t know the individuals involved in the CU
SPRINT, try writing their names in the corner of a whiteboard
and making a quick layout plan.
Kill Switch – If the CU SPRINT seems not to be working, offer
the participants a chance to end the process.
Ask for Permission – After explaining the process, the fact
you will be facilitating and keep things on time, ask the room
“does that sound okay?”

36. Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Facilitator Tips #2
Energy – As a facilitator, you’re the energy of the CU SPRINT.
If you’re down and tired, so will others be.
Positive Feedback – Comments such as “that’s a great point,
and really useful to the discussion” or “Excellent comment,
we’re right where we should be at this stage” are vital in
bringing the room with you.
Pause – Using the word pause, rather than stop, makes a
huge difference in the mood of the conversation.

37. Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Facilitator Tips #3
Enjoy It – If you enjoy the process, it’s more likely the others in
the session will too. Embrace the process and coach the
participants to produce their absolute best work.
Drink Plenty – Remember to drink plenty of water. This sounds
simple, but when you’re in the room and getting stuck in to the
process you can easily forget.
Take a Break – Don’t schedule a working lunch. At the midway
point of each session, it helps to shake off the cobwebs from
the morning and go for a walk.

38. Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Facilitator Tips #4
Deal with Difficulty – Every now and then you’ll get a difficult
individual who might not want to engage. First, capture their
comments. If this fails, remind them that the process will take
care of their concerns. If they still don’t listen, ask them politely
to leave. Don’t let one individual drain the mood of the room.
Take Photos – At the end of each day, take a photographic
record of the artefacts in the room. Photographs of the process
can also make for great PR material - but remember, you must
have informed consent.

39. Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Facilitator Tips #5
Embrace Flexibility – We advise only sending an overview of
each day to participants in advance. If you are behind
schedule, don’t tell the participants, but instead focus on
getting back on track. Confidence in the process is vital to
participants buying in to the system.
Never Break Ice – Whilst icebreakers can be powerful tools in
a facilitators arsenal, the process of the CU SPRINT will
naturally break the ice itself.

41. Oliver Wood
Learning Innovation Associate
Disruptive Media Learning Lab (DMLL)
Email: ab5576@coventry.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)7557 425 534
Tweet: @OllyWoodEdu
Photo by Robothams is licensed for DMLL use.