Agile Learning Research Articles

Exploring the impact of integrating problem based learning and agile in the classroom on enhancing professional competence

The main goal of education is to provide students with practical skills. To achieve this, it is important to connect course content to real-world industry while also maintaining academic rigor. The effectiveness of this integration has become a concern in university courses. In recent years, courses have used both Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methods that are tied to course themes and social issues, encouraging students to work together on assigned projects. However, these methods do not adequately prepare students for the fast-paced, innovative and team-oriented demands of the modern workplace. This study aims to take the problem-based approach a step further by adopting a demand-centric approach, promoting agile learning through focus group work and enhancing students' academic competencies. The study also designs a flexible learning method that adapts to the rapidly changing digital age, combining PBL with industry needs to encourage self-directed learning. This not only sustainably improves students' learning outcomes, but also develops their practical skills. The study was evaluated through pre- and post-tests, which showed a significant improvement in students' learning outcomes. Additionally, peer Net Promoter Score (NPS) assessments were used to evaluate students' subject-area competencies, yielding positive results.

AI-Empowered Learning Models in Economy 5.0: Fostering Meaning Creation Beyond Literacy

Economy 5.0 signifies a transformative era with profound implications for human development and education. This article examines emerging learning models underpinning Economy 5.0, exploring their impact on politics, personal growth, and global education ecosystems. The paradigm shift in economic evolution prompts a reevaluation of the nexus between politics and personal development, with learning acting as a catalyst for societal and individual transformation. A global perspective on AI in education policies underscores the geopolitical significance of AI-related technologies, reshaping knowledge dissemination through innovative learning platforms and Learning DAOs. Blockchain-based Agile Learning DAOs (BALD) are introduced as a mechanism that revolutionizes content creation with transparency and ethical considerations. Ethical learning, privacy, and addressing information bias emerge as central themes, with AI enhancing personhood. The roles of educators as guides remain pivotal. The future of learning in Economy 5.0 necessitates a balanced partnership between humanity and technology, grounded in ethics and human potential.

An Agile Learning Methodology to Support Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is complex due to adapting the learning process to specific learning needs. Besides, some current national education models for inclusive education lack an agile, flexible, and collaborative methodology where all relevant participants, like parents, educators' instructors, and even information technology (IT) developers, can be involved. COVID-19 accelerated e-learning but established new challenges. This research method includes the test of a proposed scrum-agile learning methodology in an elementary education institute for three students with dyscalculia based on Scrum as an agile methodology proposed to adapt inclusive education processes. Among the benefits of the proposed methodology is the testing of the iterative design and application of an agile approach, quick adaptation, and formation of IT applications and contents. Also, the student's learning improvements were measured in this research experience, demonstrating that the proposed methodology supports inclusive education by improving collaborative interventions, flexible curriculum, attention to learning needs, IT integration, and instructor training. Thus, it can be argued that the proposed methodology can meet the new challenges of the evolution of inclusive education and national models, such as accelerated IT integration, collaborators' involvement, and specific students' attitudes and needs. This methodology can evolve to an 'agile and inclusive learning methodology'.

Working Out Loud: an intervention study to test an agile learning method

PurposeToday’s unpredictable and fast-changing work environment challenges researchers and organizations to rethink learning. In contrast to traditional learning designs, new learning frameworks such as agile learning are more learner centered, integrated into the workplace and socially shaped. The purpose of this study is to examine Working Out Loud (WOL) as an agile learning method.Design/methodology/approachThis intervention study used a pre–post and six-month follow-up design (N = 507) to evaluate the effects of WOL on learners’ vigor (affective outcome), WOL behavior (behavioral outcome) and psychological empowerment (cognitive outcome) at work.FindingsThe authors compared the three longitudinal measurements using multilevel modeling. Results revealed that WOL could significantly increase learners’ WOL behavior and psychological empowerment at work in the post and six-month follow-up measurements. No effect was found on learners’ vigor at work.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need for research on new, more agile learning frameworks and discusses their relevance to the literature. Agile learning frameworks enable learners to be more autonomous and flexible, allowing them to better adapt to changing environmental demands.

Overview of Agile frameworks in Computer Science education

This paper explores the application of Agile frameworks in education to enhance the learning process. The lack of a generalized approach to Agile in education prompted an analysis and comparison of various frameworks, including Scrum, eduScrum, Agile Learning Loops (ALL), and other Scrum-based approaches. The Agile Manifesto was also reinterpreted for educational settings. The review highlights the differences and similarities among these frameworks in terms of their suitability for education, support for classic increments, project-based approach, documentation, technological stack, and role distribution. The analysis concludes that while Agile is increasingly used in education, there is no standardized methodology. The reviewed frameworks offer valuable insights, but their implementation requires experimentation and adaptation to individual educational contexts.

To what extent do career agility and psychological capital activate employees’ career adaptability and foster their career resilience and career satisfaction?

The present study drew from the career construction theory of career adaptation and assessed the extent to which career agility and psychological capital (as psychological states of adaptive readiness) activated employees’ career adaptability resources and fostered their career resilience and career satisfaction (as modes of career adaptedness). A sample of ( N = 412; mean age = 38.79 years) Black African employees in the public services participated in the study. Correlational statistics showed positive associations between the study variables. Mediation effects highlighted technological adaptivity, agile learning, optimism, and hope as activators of career concern, career control, and career curiosity, which in turn boosted self-reliance, personal resilience, and work resilience. Psychological states of career agility and psychological capital had also direct effects on the career adaptedness modes of career resilience and career satisfaction. The findings enriched career adaptation theory and have utility for organisational career development practice in the public services.

Group regulation guidance through agile learning strategies: empowering co-regulation, transactive memory, group cohesion, atmosphere, and participation

Group regulation guidance through agile learning strategies: empowering co-regulation, transactive memory, group cohesion, atmosphere, and participation

The development of the sustainable innovation capabilities construct using grounded theory: evidence from Chinese equipment manufacturers

PurposeInfluenced by factors such as fluctuations in market supply and demand and the rapid development of new technologies, manufacturing companies are facing greater challenges to transform and upgrade. The existing relevant studies about sustainable innovation capabilities mostly focus on classification of innovation or from a static resource-based view and less on quantitative measurement from a dynamic perspective and inter-organizational relationships. This paper takes a dynamic capabilities and social capital theory, explore the concept and dimensions of sustainable innovation capabilities and then makes development of a new scale.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to develop a measure of sustainable innovation capabilities in two studies. Grounded theory methodology is used to explore the concept definition and dimensions of sustainable innovation capabilities. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are conducted to refine and validate the factor structure, and then the authors developed the sustainable innovation capabilities scale.FindingsThe results show that sustainable innovation capabilities composed of ideation capabilities, opportunity capture capabilities, agile learning, creative inheritance and networking capabilities. The sustainable innovation capabilities that firms should possess are reflected at the firm level and inter-organizational relationship level, and the culture-specific dimension of creative inheritance reflects the influence of national and organizational culture.Originality/valueThe research reveals the internal driving force of the manufacturer's sustainable innovation capabilities, as well as the role and uniqueness embodied in the specific culture, providing a new perspective for improving the manufacturer's sustainable innovation capabilities.

Unpacking Organizational Adaptation Strategies: A Conceptual Review

This paper examines strategies that help organizations adapt to changing and complex environments. Drawing from existing research, the study explores key strategies like agile learning, organizational ambidexterity, digital transformation, and resource configuration. These strategies are crucial in helping organizations become more resilient and adaptable. The paper discusses each strategy, providing valuable insights into how organizations can effectively manage uncertainties and challenges in today’s business world. In conclusion, these strategies are highlighted as vital tools for enhancing organizational adaptability amidst ongoing changes and challenges. The paper also emphasizes the need for more practical research to understand better how these strategies impact organizational performance.

The influence of agile HRMS on the organizational performance: The case of Dubai government

In today's rapidly changing and interconnected world, governments are aware that they need to adapt their operations to effectively navigate the complexities they face. To address these challenges and operate more efficiently, governments must forge partnerships, embrace innovation, demonstrate effective leadership, and, most importantly, cultivate a skilled workforce. Recognizing this need, this study focuses on examining the impact of Agile HRMS on organizational performance within the Dubai government. To investigate this relationship, a survey was conducted involving 107 employees from various government departments in Dubai. The results of the survey revealed significant and positive correlations between all the dimensions of Agile HRMS (namely, Agile talent acquisition, Agile employee engagement, and Agile learning and development) and organizational performance. These findings underscore the significance of adopting Agile HRMS approaches in enhancing the professional development and effectiveness of government operations. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers within the government sector adopt and integrate Agile HRMS practices, as doing so can create an environment conducive to increased productivity and success across these organizations.

Learning in the transformation of organizations with the implementation of agile methods

Objective: This article aims to understand the influence of organizational learning on adaptation during the implementation of agile methods in the project management environment in companies. The study focuses on changing project management processes from the traditional “waterfall” to agile management models to meet the needs of organizations. It aims to identify how the organization based on traditional project management migrates to a new process, adapting the new agile methodology to its day-to-day activities. Design/methodology/approach: We carried out a systematic literature review, answering the question: How does organizational learning influence the adaptation of agile methods? Results: We grouped the articles into five fields of research: Agile Learning; Organizational Learning in the implementation of Lean and Scrum methodologies: Implementation of Lean and Scrum methodologies; Learning of the individual in the organization and Organizational Learning. Originality/Value: This article seeks interests in the potential of applying agile projects and the organizational learning acquired from this new model.

Impact of Agile Learning on Innovative Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model of Employee Engagement and Perceived Organizational Support.

This study analyzed learning agility, employee engagement, perceived organizational support (POS), and innovative behavior related to the development of innovative environment and the mental and psychological health of employees. A substantial body of research has examined the antecedents of innovative behavior of employees in their work environment, but our current understanding of how learning and motivational aspects of employees synthetically influence the innovative behavior remains incomplete. To address this gap, we developed and tested a moderated mediation model of the relationship between learning agility and employee engagement, POS, and innovative behavior. Following the job-demand resource model, componential theory, and social exchange theory, our postulated model predicted that the mediating effect of employee engagement on the relationship between learning agility and innovative behavior would be moderated by POS. The result of the analysis of the data on 331 corporate employees in South Korea supported this model. Specifically, learning agility was related to innovative behavior, while employee engagement mediated the relationship between learning agility and innovative behavior; POS strengthened the positive effect of learning agility on innovative behavior via employee engagement. We also discuss the implications of the results, future direction, and limitations of this study based on these findings.

Career agility and career embeddedness as psychological needs of the value-oriented psychological contract

The present study drew from modern person-environment’s needs-supply fit theory and assessed the extent to which career embeddedness acted as a moderator in the link between individuals’ career agility and their perceptions of the value-oriented psychological contract. A sample of ( N = 293; mean age = 38.58 years) employees in the human resources and financial services industry participated in the study. Moderated regression results demonstrated that career embeddedness moderated the link between high levels of career agility (career navigation and agile learning) and positive perceptions of value-oriented obligated employee attitudinal inputs, including organisational obligated outcomes of job characteristics, career development opportunities, relationships, and rewards. The findings of the study inform career development support practices for the career agile employee in organisations who invest in the value-oriented psychological contract.

“This Class Is Not Just a Class. It Really Is a Community”: The Potential of Online Forums as High-Impact Practices and Sites of Agile Teaching and Learning

“This Class Is Not Just a Class. It Really Is a Community”: The Potential of Online Forums as High-Impact Practices and Sites of Agile Teaching and Learning

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Post-COVID Era – Lessons from the Pandemic for Agile, Autonomous and Hybrid Learning Environments

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Post-COVID Era – Lessons from the Pandemic for Agile, Autonomous and Hybrid Learning Environments

Social Informatics Experience: A Case Study on Learning and Teaching Sociological Basics in a Technical Context

To be able to play an active role in the design, creation and development of a networked society, students, scholars and practitioners need basic knowledge in social informatics. Students at a university of applied sciences attended a one-term seminar that consisted of eight two-day workshops. The students learned and used theories, concepts and methods of social informatics (SI), focusing on the sociological part of SI. The learning and teaching approach is grounded in competency-based learning. It enables students to explore a certain field. This is implemented by means of organization development, project-based learning, agile learning and teaching plus blended learning. It empowers teachers and students to work together efficiently, effectively and with joy. To learn how and why this approach worked, an embedded case study investigated the design, implementation and evaluation of the workshop series. Finally, the paper describes impediments to the communication and understanding of the term and the field of social informatics and sketches ideas how to deal with it concerning study programmes and the value social informatics can contribute to challenges like a pandemic.

ICT-Enhanced Instruction in COVID-19 Lockdown: A Conceptual Paper

Purpose: The general increase in popularity of information and communication technology (ICT) leads to its integration into the education systems worldwide. Nowadays, educational institutions uses relevant ICT tools to create, read, store, update, and communicate information as well as enrich educational management decisions. Furthermore, ICT serves as an important instrument for teaching and learning communications in educational system especially with the evolution of flipped classroom and blended learning to complimenting the normal classroom. This study is to identify the instructional role of ICT in the education system in the lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic globally. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study covers novel approaches in the use of ICT for instruction, its role in educational access and quality of education as well as learners’ academic achievement in the lockdown period for COVID-19 pandemic Findings/Result: The use of ICT in education systems and its integration in instructional services results in agile, effective, efficient, and flexible learning. The use of this technology enhances accessibility and quality of education in the COVID-19 lockdown period. ICT eliminates the traditional face-to-face instructions by creating virtual learning environment whereby educators and learners interact at their comforts in a seamless manner. Courses can be taken online at less cost far cheaper than the traditional physical learning environment. Also, ICT promotes learners’ motivation as well as enhances learners’ engagement in learning activities ultimately facilitates the shift to the desired learner-centred method. Therefore, when ICT is appropriately utilized in educational systems, it serves as an instrument for enhancing the quality of education and the general transformation of educational systems for enhanced students’ academic achievement. Originality/Value: A flexible and efficient interaction among educational stakeholders; educational administrators, parents, educators and learners is a critical factor for enhancing learners’ academic achievement in the COVID-19 lockdown. In conclusion, this study recommends further empirical studies on the impact of ICT on learners’ academic achievement during the COVID-19 lockdown. Paper Type: Conceptual Research.

Role of Learning Ability and Learning Agility for Corporate Success : A Textual Analysis

Learning agility has been considered an essential antecedent in the context of organizational performance in recent years. The present study aimed to review selected papers for the association between learning agility and learning ability at an individual and an organizational level. Textual analysis was done to extract the word count, word occurrence, similarity, and clustering from 29 research papers. An open-source predictive analytics platform software RapidMiner Studio 9.6 version was utilized. This software permitted different operators of Natural Language Programming (NLP), R, and K-means algorithms to analyze the data, and 9,034 words attributes were observed to exist in the database, and the word “Learn” occurred 3,382 times in it. Similarity analysis yielded two files to be a 100% match since both used a systems modeling framework. The thematic analysis generated 25 words through the Latent Dirichlet allocation operator. Cluster analysis highlighted five groups, out of which one of the clusters with eight papers was observed as having similar content. This meant that the authors were discussing a similar perspective in these studies. The paper is innovative in being one of the first to use RapidMiner software in the discussion regarding learning agility and learning ability. The analysis methods used in this paper provide an insight into variables required for an agile workplace. These variables may be utilized to develop a conceptual framework model for an organization’s agile learning and development initiatives.

Assessing the construct validity of the Career Agility Scale for measuring adult workers’ digital era adaptive readiness

The study assessed the construct validity of the Career Agility Scale (CAS) in a sample of financial, legal, and human resources services employees. The participants were 290 employees (female = 46%, black = 63%; mean age = 38.58 years, SD = 9.34 years) from South Africa (70%), Zimbabwe (15 %), and elsewhere (United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, India, Malaysia) (15%). Confirmatory factor analysis yielded evidence on the convergent and discriminant validity of the three-factor structure of the CAS: technological adaptivity, agile learning, and career navigation. These findings suggest career agility is a high prospect construct for assessing proactive adult career adaptivity attributes in the digital age.

Agile learning strategies to compete in an uncertain business environment

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to respond to the uncertainty of the rapidly changing business environment and sustain their competitive advantage. Technology advances and unexpected crises have created an ever-changing environment in which traditional static corporate training methods have failed to continuously provide employees with the ability to listen to and interpret the rapid changes and respond accordingly.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative exploratory multi-case study was useful to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to sustain their competitive advantage. Snowball sampling enabled the discovery of 15 participants who represented 10 different industries. Participants represented both management and non-management roles. Data were collected from multiple sources such as interviews, observations, researcher notes and document reviews. A thematic analysis model was used to analyze the collected data.FindingsThe findings substantiated that organizations are operating in a fast-changing environment where agile learning strategies are vital to surviving. The data also showed that agile learning strategies must include individual learning paths to continuously develop employees’ agile skills to build their organizations’ agile core competencies.Originality/valueThis study underlined the importance of adopting agile learning strategies to help employees listen and accurately interpret their organizations’ external environments to enable quick responses to changes. Without agile learning strategies, organizational agile core competencies and competitive advantage will progressively decline.