Constructivism, Agile Style.

I was recently given a presentation by a fellow student in my Educational Technology course and I learned so much from it that I am going to implement the reported practice in my classroom.

The presentation was on the Agile model for project development.  This model is extensively deployed in the tech world, but as we saw from Robert Crowley's presentation, this process can be optimized for other applications, including education.  In short, I have focused on several components of Robert's take on Agile that I will use to inform my Energy and Environment Youth Media Project--Analysis, Design and Iteration.

Background:

The Energy and Environment Youth Media Project is in its fourth iteration in my dual credit Environmental Science and Policy course, taught at BUHS for four Marlboro College transfer credits. The Media Project is the summative project for the course.  Its original goal was to have students make visual media for the townspeople of Brattleboro to show them some of their possible energy futures.  I have expended the project to allow students to explore other environmental issues such as habitat destruction and injury to human health and ecosystems by environmental toxins.  In all of these, we focus on the ability to discern accurate, trustworthy information in these areas.

The approach that we use is very student-centered, but requires a significant amount of guidance and troubleshooting from me as well. They have to define their goals, do research, create a storyboard, arrange interviews with experts, film, narrate and edit This creates an ideal situation for Robert's hybrid Agile approach. I must insert the caveat that I am working from my memory and impressions as well as the slides from the presentation.  I may be misstating several things and for that I apologize.

Here are some of the outstanding components and processes that I will use.

Analysis:

The necessity for deep consideration of the outcomes desired by the team is often skipped over as a given, searching for the very underpinnings of those goals helps place everybody's effort and attention on track from the start.  Defining the problem makes sure the solution actually addresses it.

Design (and Sprint):

Break the task down into manageable, accountable "sprints," lasting a defined period of time that have a product due at the end.  In these sprint periods, teams work largely independently, but with larger short meetings to discuss progress and troubleshoot.  At the end of each sprint, there is a chance to address significant problems, rather than at the end of the whole project, when there is little recourse for serious problems.  This will be a great way to make sure that people have directed action and a benchmark product to be responsible for.  Otherwise, they become overwhelmed by the task and just "research" online and fritter time away.

Iteration:

Going back over and giving feedback at all times can inform all aspects of the process.  If things need to be re-addressed, then this process allows a less painful way to use feedback to make big, necessary changes. This will help us address shortcomings as they arise, and to constantly gather feedback from all aspects of the process on the progress towards the goals.