This document discusses how agile project management methods can be applied to eLearning development. Some key benefits of the agile approach include prioritizing individuals and collaboration over processes and tools. The document outlines the scrum framework, including sprints, backlogs, stories and tasks. An example workflow for course development is presented, showing iterations within a sprint. Best practices are provided for designing large blended learning curriculums using agile methods.

1. Agile Project
Management(PM)
Methods for
eLearning
Angel Fisher, MPM, PMP, Senior Program Manager
at the American Society for Clinical Pathology
Karisa Munoz, M.Ed., Senior Instructional Designer
at the American Society for Clinical Pathology

2. Learning Objectives
• Describe how Agile is a different way to administer
eLearning projects
• Recognize methods for adopting an Agile
approach for eLearning
• Identify best-practices for design of large blended
learning curriculums using Agile

3. Understanding Agile
…a style of working…

4. Agile Benefits
individuals and interaction over process and tools
working products/programs over comprehensive
documentation
customer collaboration over contract negotiation
responding to change over following a plan
The Agile Software Development Manifesto©

5. Projects Fitted for Agile
• Successfully implementing a new LMS.
• Any urgent project with significant complexity and
novelty.

6. Agile vs. Waterfall

7. Principles of Agile PM
An Agile framework for completing complex projects
is: SCRUM

8. Major Elements of a
Sprint
SPRINT
Backlog
(requirements)
Stories
(use cases)
Tasks

9. What is discussed?
Scrum
Planning
Daily Scrum
Meetings
Scrum
Review

10. Course Development
Workflow
This is one
iteration or a
portion or a
sprint

11. Course Development
Workflow

12. Burndown Chart
Effort
(resources
& hours)
Days (length of sprint)
# of
Tasks
Outline topics, initial info
and images
Major articulate work as a
result of SME submission
(SME review) other
work/additional touches
Changes as a result of
SME/Stakeholder
review
Editing and record
narration
QA including
user review

13. Example of large
curriculum release
• Gap Analysis
Completed n=1,840
• Launched in 2013 with 7
courses
 The rest of the courses were
released over the course of a
year
• Stakeholder/SME EDGE
meetings
• Today LMU has 47
courses, over 13,000
participants and 1,000
graduates

14. Agile PM Tools
• Trello or Sharepoint
• Basecamp or Google docs
• Wireframe or branching tools
• Virtual meeting rooms
Stakeholders
SMEs
Users

15. Project Case
• Your team has been charged to develop a self-
paced online educational product.
• The product should be easy to update and provide
a high transfer of learning.
• The product should employ a standardized modular
course design completed directly working with a
subject matter expert (SME).
• The product is part of a blended learning curriculum
that provides performance support.

16. Project Case, cont.
Instructions: In table teams, review the project case
and participate in this self-directed exercise. Elect a
scribe to report on the discussion of the question
below. Note 3 key points in your teams discussion.
How would you organize your tasks using
agile methods to develop this project?

17. Summary
• Agile is not yet a standard, but is certainly
applicable.
• Agile approach for eLearning was beneficial.
• In development of large blended learning
curriculums, using Agile improved the quality of
deliverables, improved productivity , and increased
return on investment.

18. Questions?
Learn agile.
Think agile.
Be agile.
Complete the Evaluation using the app.
If you don’t have your phone, ask your
session monitor for a paper evaluation

19. Resources
• https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/7-step-agenda-effective-
retrospective
• http://blog.capterra.com/10-dilbert-cartoons-that-get-project-management-
just-right/
• https://elearningindustry.com/agile-project-management-elearning-
development
• http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/agile/agile-survey/
• https://elearningindustry.com/agile-project-management-elearning-
development
• https://elearningindustry.com/adopting-agile-approach-for-elearning-
development-organization
• http://gsd.guru/category/agile-transition/
• https://www.scrumalliance.org/why-scrum#sthash.BOoXcV30.dpuf
• http://blog.daverooney.ca/2011/01/project-suitability-for-agile.html