3.3.5 Project closing
In the Agile educational framework, closing a sprint, or "educational iteration," is a crucial step to keep teaching and learning processes flexible and responsive. Here's how Agile principles apply to closing a sprint in schools.
Sprint review
In the eduScrum framework, at the end of an educational iteration, teachers and students conduct a sprint review. During this review, they collectively evaluate the progress made during the learning cycle. Students reflect on their learning experiences, and together with the teachers assess whether the educational objectives were achieved. This review process is similar to inspecting the increment in Agile terms.
Have a look at the Mural template for a sprint review and adapt it to your class needs.
In the Agile Learning Centers, there is no formal sprint review neither a sprint retrospective as students follow a pure self-directed learning approach with no educational iterations. But, there are daily opening and closing meetings that enable a close follow up of the learning experience; and there is a weekly change up meeting that uses a Community Mastery Board as a tool to foster a culture of change and incremental improvement, a type of sprint retrospective process.
Sprint retrospective
It is a different type of sprint review that focuses on the team and group interactions.
In eduScrum, each educational sprint ends with a retrospective to evaluate what worked well for the team, what things could be improved in the group interactions and way of working.
Have a look at the Mural template for a sprint retrospective and adapt it to your class needs.
In the Agile Learning Centers, as mentioned before, there is no educational sprint, and therefore no official sprint retrospective, but the group spirit is not forgotten and a change up meeting is held every week to co-create the culture of the school and look together at the things that are working well or not and find solutions to the potential challenges. The change up process is supported bye the Community Mastery Board, which is a tool that visually captures the thoughts, needs, and reflections of the community, promoting collaboration and problem-solving. It raises awareness, identifies needs, and encourages reflection, fostering a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities. By facilitating collective brainstorming and accountability, it generates solutions and ensures a responsive and inclusive learning environment.
Have a look at the following articles for more information about the change up meeting and use of the community mastery board.
Videos of the project result 1 for the Erasmus+ project AgileXR:
Feedback gathering and adaptation: Agile in education emphasizes the importance of feedback loops. Teachers actively gather feedback from students, parents, and colleagues to inform their teaching methods and curriculum choices. This feedback-driven approach allows educators to adapt their practices to better meet the evolving educational needs and preferences of their students, mirroring the Agile principle of customer collaboration.
Gratitude circles and recognition: Closing an educational iteration provides an opportunity to express gratitude and recognition. Teachers acknowledge their students' dedication and hard work, while students appreciate their teachers' efforts in creating engaging and effective learning experiences. Gratitude circles and thank-you notes play a role in these expressions of appreciation, fostering the Agile value of individuals and interactions.
Goal setting for the next iteration: As one educational iteration closes, educators and students collaboratively set goals for the next cycle of learning. These goals align with academic achievements, personal growth, or specific skills development, exemplifying the Agile principle of responding to change. Goal setting ensures that each iteration has a clear purpose and direction.
Have a look at the Mural templates for weekly kanban and retrospective and adapt them to your classroom needs. Closing a project
Closing educational projects in Agile for schools involves several key actions inspired by Agile project management principles.
By incorporating Agile principles into education, schools and educators can enhance adaptability, responsiveness, and collaboration. This ensures that closing sprints or projects becomes an integral part of the educational journey toward continuous improvement and student success. Agile education fosters an environment where both students and teachers can thrive and adapt to the evolving needs of modern education.
And there we go, … the Agile learning cycle starts again, … until we have the result or deadline as agreed with the teacher and students.
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