Develop the skills to apply Agile principles to project management as you explore the concepts, tools, and techniques of Agile.

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  • Duration

    7 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Gain a solid introduction to Agile project management

Agile methodology is being widely adopted by project managers. This iterative approach promotes collaboration and human interaction to work more efficiently and be responsive to change.

On this seven-week course, you’ll explore the major concepts, tools, techniques, and applications of Agile project management.

You’ll delve into the Agile manifesto to develop crucial Agile skills and learn how to apply them to the workplace. With this knowledge, you’ll also understand how to build and support high-performing teams.

Explore key Agile frameworks

You’ll identify and compare different Agile frameworks and approaches, including Scrum and Extreme Programming, to understand how to implement them into a work environment.

You’ll also explore the values and principles that support Agile theories to build your understanding of the role of Agile values in project management.

Unpack Scaled Agile Framework and other approaches

With your knowledge of Agile frameworks, you’ll delve deeper into Agile Scaling approaches such as Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Scrum@Scale, and Nexus. Through examples and discussion, you’ll evaluate Agile Scaling approaches to compare their strengths and weaknesses.

You’ll then discover how organizations can incorporate Agile planning and team dynamics to effectively manage a project in an Agile environment.

Learn how to use Agile tools

The course will wrap up with a survey of commonly-used Agile tools and industry-recognized certifications to help you understand how to select the best option for your work environment.

Guided by industry experts from the University of California, Irvine, you’ll finish the course with a strong foundational knowledge of Agile and will have started to develop key Agile skills you can use in your workplace.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Agile Values and Principles

    • Open notebook with a pen laying on it and a digital tablet next to the notebook.

      Course introduction

      In this activity, you'll be introduced to the FutureLearn platform and the content that will be covered during this course. You will also get an overview of the topics covered during the first week of this course.

    • Team members with hands in the middle representing teamwork

      Agile Manifesto

      In this activity, we take a look at the Agile Manifesto and the agile values that are captured within.

    • Cork notice board with multiple notes pinned to it in neat rows and columns

      The 12 Agile principles

      In this activity, we will take a closer look at the 12 Agile principles described in the manifesto in order to better understand the Agile mindset.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 2

    Agile Theories

    • ask the expert written in chalk on a small handheld blackboard

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into the second week of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Agile methodology concept with a hand on a knob that can switch between traditional methodology and agile methodology

      Introducing Agile theories

      In this activity, we will explore the differences between a predictive framework and an adaptive (or Agile) framework, for project management, and compare traditional project management approaches to the Agile approach.

    • Human head symbols with fixed mindset vs growth mindset concept

      Fixed vs growth mindset

      In this activity, we explore the differences between having a fixed mindset and having a growth mindset. We will also explore the concept of servant leadership.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 3

    Agile Frameworks and Methods

    • Photo Of person using sticky notes to plan out a project

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into the third week of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Photo of a team using a whiteboard and notes to plan out a project

      Agile frameworks and methods

      In this activity, you will be introduced to several popular Agile tools, techniques, and practices.

    • Picture of a businessman busy thinking and with question marks around his head

      Choosing the framework

      In this activity, you will explore how to go about selecting one of the many different approaches to structure Agile processes.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 4

    Scaling Frameworks

    • Photo of person holding a growth arrow pointing in upward direction

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into Week 4 of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Woman holding up her hands with questions marks in each

      Comparison of frameworks

      In this activity, you will explore some of the factors that drive the need to scale, as well as some of the more popular scaling frameworks and practices.

    • Pros and cons list on a blackboard

      Addressing the need for scaling

      In this activity, we learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each framework by distilling these scaling frameworks down into their basic pros and cons.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 5

    Agile Planning

    • Team working together/planning out a project

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into Week 5 of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Miniature businessmen standing on wooden blocks with the word Goal

      Planning and goals

      In this activity, we look at the five levels of Agile planning and then take a more detailed look at the sprint planning process.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 6

    Team Dynamics

    • team sitting at a desk looking on a laptop

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into Week 6 of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Team sitting around a table working on plans with notebooks and graphs scattered across the table

      Cross functional teams

      In this activity, we explore the factors that make a team successful, and look at some common models for team formation.

    • Worker team is working on a desk with computers in a warehouse

      Crew resource management

      In this activity, you will learn about Crew Resource Management (CRM), which originated in the airline industry, and how it is now used in many other disciplines to increase team performance.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Week wrap up

      In this activity, you'll have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the topics covered during the week. You will also be provided with a summary of the week's learning, and some insight on what to expect in the new week.

  • Week 7

    Agile Tools and Certification

    • Laptop computer screen covered with various sticky notes

      Welcome to the week

      Moving into the final week of this course, this activity will give you an overview of the topics that will be covered during this week.

    • Person working on a laptop using an agile planning tool

      Agile tools

      In this activity, you will look at the benefits of using tools, and some of the criteria to consider when evaluating tools.

    • Graduation cap on an open book

      Agile certification

      In this activity, you will learn how to gain recognition for your Agile Project Management skills, or how to further develop your skills through Agile certification.

    • Yellow note with 'time for review' written on it resting against a blue alarm clock

      Course wrap up

      In this activity, you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned to a task. You will also be provided with a summary and a chance to provide some feedback on your experience.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply foundational Agile skills, including Agile Principles, Values, and the Planning Cycle.
  • Discuss the role of Agile Values in project management.
  • Compare the different Agile Frameworks & Methods and apply them to a work environment.
  • Evaluate the different Agile Scaling Approaches in order to compare their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Build and support high-performing teams with crew resource management tools and techniques.
  • Evaluate Agile tools to select the best option for a given work environment.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in Agile practices but will be particularly useful for programmers and project managers.

What software or tools do you need?

You will need a Google account to log in and view some resources on the course.

Who will you learn with?

Lori Garcia

Agile IT Project Manager for Medical Devices managing several mobile applications.

Bob Tarne

Consultant focused on improving organizations ability to deliver value effectively using tools such as Agile, Lean, Systems Coaching (ORSC), Business Process Improvement/BPM, and Design Thinking

Who developed the course?

UCI

University of California, Irvine

Established in 1962, the University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (UCI DCE) has served the lifelong learning needs of individuals, organizations, and the community on a local, regional, and global scale.

  • Established

    1965
  • Location

    Irvine, USA
  • World ranking

    Top 100Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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