Agile learning generally refers to the transfer of agile methods of project work, especially Scrum, to learning processes. Likewise, agile learning proceeds in incremental steps and through an Iterative design which alternates between phases of learning and doing. The tutors rather have the role of a learning attendant or supporter. In a narrower sense, it is intended to allow competence-oriented, media-based learning in the work process within companies. In addition, the term can take several other meanings and is also often used within e-learning and online environments.
Background
Scrum is a framework for project and product management, in particular for agile software development. Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to optimize predictability and control risk. It has been developed from the experience that many development projects are too complex to be included in a full-scale plan, and an essential part of the requirements cannot be fully understood or defined up front. In order to eliminate these ambiguities, work is broken into actions that can be completed within time-boxed iterations, called sprints – with clear goals and regular feedback loops. During a sprint, progress and interim results are monitored in short daily meetings. At the end of a sprint, the results, the working process, and the cooperation are reflected upon and a new interval begins.
In companies
Requirements
The Scrum framework can be well adjusted to the requirements of companies for a dynamic, workplace-integrated competence development and the subsequent frequency and intensity with which employees have to educate themselves further and acquire new skills. As complexity and dynamics in the internal and external specialization and collaborations increase the need for training and competence development increases as well. In terms of competence development, organizations therefore have concrete needs that are not met well by classical forms of qualification (e.g. seminar courses, continuing education courses), namely:
"Reduce the time it takes an employee to acquire the necessary competencies to do their job in the most efficient and effective manner" "Change the learning context rapidly and in response to the real world" "Facilitate knowledge sharing within an organization" "Support a soft failure environment where mistakes have no impact on the real world, thus promoting a willingness to engage in measured risk-taking, focused on achieving a high level of polished performance in the real world" There is a need for the integration of knowledge and content management with collaboration technologies and for developing a new (online) manufacturing training methodology in order to train and build the manufacturing workforce of the future. Such learning environments and learning processes have as requirements: High scalability, to enable qualification measures from a few hours to several hundred; Content adaptability, to include new topics as quickly as possible; Connectivity to existing organizational structures and software infrastructure in order to start with little effort
So far, however, there are hardly any suitable continuing education formats for this need. One answer to this is the agile learning approach with its flexibility in relation to all three above mentioned requirements. In accordance with Scrum and established psychological findings for an effective pursuit of goals, Agile learning divides an extensive (learning) process into individual, manageable learning phases. Here, too, the three pillars of Scrum of transparency, verification, adaptation apply.
Key elements
The key elements of agile learning in companies are: Teams of peers with similar development goals and a broad spectrum of backgrounds Coaches (internal / external) to support the learning process Company stakeholders (management, human resource department) represented by a sponsor ("product owner" in Scrum). Learning objectives which are broken down within the team into personal learning goals Working on tasks from the actual working context Sprints to reach sub goals/milestones. The coaches will closely guide this process After completion the results will be presented to the project owner and be verified by them
Roles within agile learning
Parallel to Scrum, three roles can be described, which have slightly different tasks in agile learning.
Sponsor ("Product owner") Defines the learning field and determines a suitable project Creates the organizational framework Is a liaison person into the organization Receives the technical learning progress