Teach project management, pack an agile punch

Abstract

Agile software development methods have begun to gain wide acceptance by the global software industry. However, project managers with academic training in ASD are a rarity. This paper outlines a course in IS Project Management that is well-suited for an audience consisting of students from the information systems, business and computer science streams, who normally make up a graduate class. The course begins by adopting a process-neutral perspective towards activities such as requirements and estimation, before proceeding to discuss Agile methods. A team project allows participants to develop a hands-on feel for ASD, with the help of an Agile PM platform. The author has recently taught the course as proposed at his institution. The paper makes some observations on the effect of prior work experience on team performance. It concludes with some testimonials from professional participants, on the impact that the course has had on their practices at work.