This document discusses experiments using Agile principles and methods for curriculum design at the Open University. It found that Agile approaches can build happy teams, enhance output quality, prioritize learner needs, and potentially improve student retention and progression. However, culture shock and risks to quality must be managed. The key takeaways are to define clear objectives, adopt Agile incrementally, focus on values before methods, continuously review and improve processes, and accept that "done is better than perfect".

1. Adventures in agile curriculum designBirmingham
29/03/2017

2. Adventures in Agile
curriculum design
Jisc student experience experts group
Birmingham 29 March 2017

3. 3
Matthew Moran
BA PhD
Programme Director and Head of
Technology-enhanced Learning
Matthew.Moran@open.ac.uk
@moran_matthew
www.linkedin.com/in/moranmatthew1/

4. 4
EXPERIMENTATION

5. 5

6. staff
275
new modules
175+
maintenance
modules
450+
corporate &
commercial
150+
25+MOOCs
WHO: D&P TEAM
Translation
Commissioning
Technology
Enhanced Learning
plus strategic projects
plus external suppliers
Open Media &
Informal Learning
Library
Services
£14.1m budget
Strategy, Planning & Resources Academic
Learning & Teaching Innovation (LTI)
Development
& Production
We help to provide life-changing learning
by collaborating to create, deliver, maintain and support innovative
course content for students across multiple formats and channels
20Graphics
& Artwork
30Interactive
Media & Testing
89Editors
17Student
Helpdesk
36Media Assistants
& Co-ordinators
26Video
& Audio
20Warehouse
& Distribution
6Materials
Procurement
200,000,000+words 1,000,000+images
7,000+videos10,000+audios1,000+interactives
3,000+online items
1,300+
157,000+packages
40,000+helpdesk calls
Editorial Digital Learning Media V&A
Distribution & HelpdeskMedia Operations & Resources
words &
images
rich
media
integration
into
websites
& books
dispatch
& support
WHAT: PER YEAR
LTI DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION
books
(1M+ copies, inc. buy-ins)
18Online
Services
v2.0
24 March 17
4Resource
Management

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8. Can we use Agile principles and
methods in course design to
improve system performance and
enhance learner experience?
8

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ADDIE

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Characteristics of ‘the new methodology’
of Agile instructional design:
●Adaptive rather than predictive
(welcome change, even late on in design)
●User centred not process obsessed.
(Fowler, 2003)

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Agile principles promote teamwork among
designers, and enhance quality of outputs.
(Sweeney, 2010)
Agile principles achieve quicker delivery,
satisfaction of stakeholder needs, greater
development team collaboration and innovation.
(Shor, 2012)

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Experiments in Agile learning design
and course production using:
• Agile principles only
• Agile practices and tools (standups, Kanban,
prioritisation, reviews, retrospectives)
• Specific Agile methods including Scrum, DSDM
• Hybrid waterfall-Agile methods.

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17. Breakthroughs
17
• Agile builds happy teams
• Enhances quality of outputs
• Prioritises learner requirements and experience
• Improved retention and progression data
• Speed to market
• Indications of efficiency gains (and cost savings).

18. Breakdowns
18
• Unhappy teams – anxiety, conflict, storming
• Culture shock for the uninitiated
• Learning curve risks to quality, learner experience
• What works for one team doesn't necessarily
transfer or scale
• Management expectations that Agile is magic
bullet (quicker, cheaper, better).

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Takeaways
• Define performance improvement objectives
• Don't try to be a purist – take what's useful for
your goals
• Embed Agile values and beliefs before methods
• Start small, build confidence, scale up slowly
• Done is better than perfect
• Don't neglect review and retrospectives –
learning and continuous improvement.

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EXPERIMENTATION

21. 21
Matthew Moran
BA PhD MBA MAODE (pending)
Programme Director and Head of
Technology-enhanced Learning
Matthew.Moran@open.ac.uk
@moran_matthew
www.linkedin.com/in/moranmatthew1/