In the modern world, the flexible method is becoming an integral part of many areas of life. Education prepares us for the work of the future. So, it is difficult to imagine the future without modern planning methods. Agile principles use in the modern system of higher education. They are the design of the curriculum and the everyday interaction of the teacher and the student.
What are the Advantages of Agile methodology?
The group of seventeen software experts met in Snowbird (Utah, USA) in February 2001. They wrote a manifesto for flexible software development, outlining the values and principles of Agile processes into four key ideas:
- People and collaboration are more important than processes and tools
- A working product is more important than comprehensive documentation
- Cooperation with the customer is more important than discussing the terms of the contract
- Willingness to change is more important than following a plan
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Agile approach and method of projects in the field of education.
The goal of any project is to create a product – a significant result of the activity. For educational projects, educational goals are also added. The knowledge, skills, and abilities of students become part of the product.
The basic principle of “flexible” work on the project is to break the entire work process into small stages. These stages culminate in a demonstration of the product being created step by step. In the best case, the result of each stage is a product ready for use.
At the end of each stage, the team demonstrates the results of its work to stakeholders. Then they conduct an intra-team reflexive meeting – a retrospective. Team members discuss how satisfied they are with the work process during the previous stage. And they agree on the rules of interaction improvement for the next stage. Throughout the work on the project, team members regularly gather for short meetings. Everyone informs them what tasks they have already completed and which they are going to perform and what help is needed. Thus, all team actions are constantly synchronized.
How can a teacher organize the project activities of students on Agile development benefits?
- First of all, it is necessary to determine the purpose of the project and the socially significant product that should be obtained as a result. Ideally, students should do this.
- Formation of teams of 4 to 7 people who are able to work independently on the project.
- Determining the rhythm of work. To help collaboration, the team can use various visualization tools. For example, you need to create a fast essay writing project –use a Scrum board with three columns to take into account the tasks “Make”, “In progress”, “Done”.
- Planning ways to present the information, they need for the project.
- Public demonstrations of team results at the end of each stage. This gives students valuable feedback about the effectiveness of their work. Especially if they see the results of the work of other teams or receive comments from potential consumers of the created product.
This implies the need to focus in the process of education on interdisciplinary and personal results. Because the requirement of time is not only to know but also to be able to quickly navigate in changing situations.
We have grounds for concluding that three main areas of Agile application in education are possible:
- Agile – in the development of educational products.
- Agile training: the formation of an individual educational trajectory.
- Agile as a pedagogical technology. So, the purposes of applying the Agile methodology in the system of higher education are:
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- Disclosure of the inner potential of the student’s personality;
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- Flexibility and ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions, adjusting to any conditions and needs;
- Achieving a high level of responsibility and awareness among all participants;
- Meaningful communication (the recommended method of transmitting information – personal conversation – face to face).
Let us consider the principles of applying Agile in higher education institutions on the basis of the Agile manifesto:
- People and the interaction between them are more important than processes and tools. Most educational institutions are obsessed with the processes and tools. While the needs of the individual fade into the background. The application of the Agile technique is based on a people-centered approach to organizational development while increasing the level of organizational discipline.
- Meaningful education is more important than the dimensions of education. Most teachers are “fixated” on teaching methods, didactic materials and results (this is what they want to “build”). The value of what students learn (“customer needs”) is rarely discussed. Using Agile benefits, you can teach creatively, respond to individual needs, and at the same time get high results.
- Stakeholder interaction is more important than complex negotiations. True cooperation and understanding between all participants in the educational process are rare. The culture of the university involves avoiding conflict in any way. Commissions and councils make decisions, the results are mostly depersonalized. Those ideas that offend the feelings of at least a number of people are introduced. Almost all issues are resolved with the help of such compromises. Many negotiations are not obvious, but avoiding conflict almost always becomes a decisive factor in decision-making. The best examples of cooperation fade into the background and the worst aspects of compromise are put forward in the first positions.
- Readiness for change is more important than planned actions. There is a myth that the more and better the planning, the more effective the control will be. As we know from work experience, the opposite is true: the more we plan, the more likely everything will go wrong. Rapid maneuvering is the only right response to change, and change is what we education workers fear most.
Conclusion
New methods of organizing the educational space and the entire educational process in higher education institutions are based on interaction, planning, and cooperation. The teacher and students are one team that is interested in achieving results. Students themselves “lead” classes: set goals, define tasks, work in groups, and learn to use the “roadmap” as a tool for managing their own activities. The main motivator in such interaction is the desire for joint success.
