When you hear of "Scrum", it most likely strikes a bell in your memory, and will take you to the pitch of rugby, with players in their formation locking heads or even bumping into each other - you are right, because the Scrum takes its origin from rugby, however, in the context of work and productivity, Scrum takes an entirely different meaning.
Scrum is a strategy widely-used in agile product development which specifically targets teamwork, routines, efficiency and collective values as vital tools for achieving product development. The strength of Scrum in achieving its remarkable success can be linked to its flexible approach to tasks, which allows participants avoid rigidness and strict approaches to attaining goals but rather organize teams into specific assignments which schedules work and gives them a free hand in going about achieving it, thus, accommodating the diversity in human skills and capabilities and allow a full utilization of potentials.
So, why not apply Scrum in classroom? Using Scrum at school may benefit the student's productivity to greater levels. Let's say a student has to write an essay on police brutality. He will need to do some research on the topic, create a thesis statement, make an outline, actually write an essay paragraph by paragraph, make plagiarism check after and proofread it. A lot of work or, better to stay, steps. That's when Scrum will come in handy. Using Scrum, a student will be able to organize his work on the police brutality essay properly. You can check out the story of a certain sixth grader - Bianca Lewis, whose school project became an inspiring success by the use of Scrum.
How can Scrum be used at Schools?
Many success stories have revealed the viability and the usefulness of Scrum at school, apart from the story of Bianca Lewis which is exceptionally inspiring, there are a whole lot of instances where Scrum frameworks have been used to eliminate the drawbacks of to-do list systems and rigid instructions of how learning, assignments, and tasks should take place. The question of how Scrum can be used is well addressed in this section.
Scrum at school help to link up teamwork with the process of learning, therefore, a scrum board is helpful in providing the needed learning and organizational structure and insight for both students and teachers alike. Also, sprint education is used to make end results of learning processes feasible and guide towards learning objectives achievement while eliminating the need for postponements.
The Scrum method at school also emphasizes frequent feedbacks from team members, reviews, as well as retrospections which helps to form a mindset of continuous improvement and responsibility for the members of the educational system. This also serves as a catalyst to progression in assignments and duties, since every member of the team will be required to give frequent updates of their status concerning the task at hand.
Scrum in practical Terms
Students can be broken down into teams for projects, assignments or specific tasks by a teacher who also fixes a deadline for the ultimate completion of such roles which could be in the form of a presentation, report, test or even a demonstration. The project can then be broken down into sprints, the duration of each sprint can vary depending on the task at hand or the deadline stated. Each team then gives feedback on their project through a team leader.
Also, every team is provided with a scrum board where tasks, activities, and other essential information can be posted, and the state of the assignment can be understood at any stage of the project. After every sprint, a review should take place which will identify the loopholes and strength of the team on the project and how it can be improved for greater and better efficiency and improved outcomes as well as cooperation.
Hence, in this method, there are three parties involved, the teacher, who is the product owner and assigns projects to student; the scrum master is one of the students in each team selected based on his/her qualities and qualifications; and finally, the team members themselves who are involved in executing their own plans and strategies to bring about project completion.
Benefits of Scrum in Education
Scrum methods in education have shown tremendous benefits for both students and their teachers - by setting goals for students to meet, the potentials of students are not only discovered but enabled to exceed the boundaries which they might have in their minds; many students battle self-doubt and believe they are unable to perform well, but through the structured method of Scrum, this can be overcome, and confidence and efficiency can be instilled in students.
The use of Scrum in schools also help to expose students to the rudiments of teamwork, commitment to team objectives and goals, cooperation to achieve results and a sense of collective responsibility for success. Hence, rather than focus on personal excellence, students are taught to help and develop one another together. In addition, they are trained to stick with plans and get accountable through the various team sprint reports, reviews and retrospections.
Perhaps, another strong advantage of Scrum is the autonomy and independence which it affords the students in executing their plans and decisions. There is no form of coercion which makes working tedious and burdensome, and this way, genuine passion and sense of responsibility are nurtured and reinforced in students.
Conclusion
So, since education is a process that aims at preparing her participants for true challenges that exist beyond the boundaries of their learning centers, Scrum as a method of training for students can thus be effective for building highly skilled and well-equipped individuals for different workplaces and settings in this century, since without any doubt, modern-day workplace experience revolves around the various practices of the Scrum such as problem-solving, creative thinking, to name a few.
Therefore, the use of Scrum at school promises tangible and positive potentials for students, teachers and the educational sector collectively with its flexible, efficient and creative approach to learning
What do you think? Do share your views in the comment section below.
