Agile Development in Project-based Curriculum at Scale for Middle and High School Girls (Abstract Only)

Abstract

Agile software development practices, which focus on iteration and adaptability, are commonly used in software engineering companies. Girls Who Code designed an after-school Clubs curriculum for middle and high school students that gives girls first-hand exposure to these practices. We use agile processes for two reasons. The first is practical: Over the course of a year-long Club, all participants collaboratively create a large project. Agile practices organize this effort. The second is mission-driven: We believe using real-world techniques and terminology will build girls' identities as computer scientists. Girls Who Code recognizes that when teaching 40,000 girls at scale, not every Clubs Facilitator will have had first-hand experience with agile development practices. We have created a curriculum to empower volunteers from any background to teach in an agile manner. Facilitators are given Session Outlines for each Club session that provide activities to structure the Club experience, as well as additional facilitator tips on topics such as finding an audience, researching pre-existing solutions, and developing solutions. Throughout this year, the Girls Who Code Education team will observe Clubs to evaluate this pedagogical approach. We will follow 10 Clubs closely throughout the year, and visit approximately 40 more. During that time, we will interview facilitators about their experiences teaching our curriculum. We will share our findings from these field observations and recommendations for integrating agile development practices into curricula. We hope to engage the computer science education community in a conversation about the strengths and challenges of this approach.