Software development project (5 cr)

Objective

You learn a set of methods and practices based on the values and principles underlying the agile software development methodologies.
You learn to build solutions through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams utilizing the appropriate practices for their context.

Content

What is the best process framework for developing and maintaining complex software products?
What are the roles, events and documents needed and the rules that bind them together in a process framework?

Evaluation

Students can
a. use professional vocabulary and concepts in an expert way in different situations.
b. evaluate information sources critically.
c. work as team members in working life expert duties and identify and describe the problems of the professional field.
e. choose appropriate models, methods, software and techniques according to the purpose and justify these choices.

Course material

The theoretical lectures bring all the necessary learning material to prompt students to actively work on their projects on the hands-on part of the lecture.
The materials are made available in Learn, and covered in detail during the lectures.

Study forms and methods

Students should expect a blend of lectures and hands-on development on group projects. This course is designed to provide opportunities for students to apply their learning to practical, real-world scenarios. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of common working situations and techniques utilized in software companies.

Throughout this course, students will:
- Go through a professional software development workshop.
- Gain hands-on understanding of teamwork and the Scrum framework.
- Utilize different collaboration and project management tools.
- Learn the importance of following coding standards and best practices.
- Learn elements of testing and CI/CD pipelines.
- Apply soft skills necessary in project delivery and client interaction.
- Reflect and discuss their own experience through project-based learning.

RDI and work-related cooperation

The course aims to bring real-world cases for the students, and cooperation with local companies might be possible under the Koodariverstas project. Whether students will approach mock cases, their own projects, or company-based projects will be defined by the teacher at the start of the course, depending on the availability of projects for cooperation with the companies.

Timing of exams and assignments

Assignments are given at the start and throughout the course.
There are no formal exams; Students present their projects and are evaluated based on their weekly progress, overall results and presentation quality.
For more information, check the "assessment methods and criteria" section below.

Student workload

The course has 5 ECT, i.e. 135h of student work. Aside from theory lectures about the concepts above, students spend the majority of time working on their projects. To complement the lectures, a range of critical discussions and book recommendations are provided. These are aimed to simulate common methods and rituals used in professional software development.

Lectures consist of a theoretical introduction to the topic of the day, followed by independent work from the students. Every week students report the progress in their projects with a daily stand-up format, aimed to unblock and progress their independent work. The course runs as a practical workshop where students emulate teams working in projects inside a startup company. The teacher acts as a manager and facilitator, while students work as self-organizing scrum teams. At the end of the course students deliver their projects with a "client"-facing presentation, where they show and discuss with the teacher and entire group what they have created.

Course part description

Lecture Topics:

- Professional Software Development
- The Software Development Team
- Project Kick-Off
- Agile Software Development
- Scrum Framework and Rituals
- Tools of the Trade
- Sprint Planning and Execution
- Coding Standards and Best Practices
- Working in Teams and Code Review
- Testing and Quality Assurance
- Project Delivery and Deployment
- Monitoring and future development
- Project Presentation and Course’s Wrap-Up

Further information

Prior know-how and skills:

It is not mandatory, but it always help to know how to code (Full stack), basics of UI/UX, utilize GitHub, and have an idea of Scrum and its rituals.
These concepts will also be presented through the course's theoretical lectures.

Courses you are expected to have completed:

- Basics of programming
- Advanced programming
- Full stack programming
- Databases

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Information-based know-how
- Minimal theoretical knowledge, lacking connections between different topics, and with frequent inaccuracies or misunderstandings.
- Limited ability to find and use information without significant guidance.
- Limited context awareness, often overlooking the target audience or stakeholder needs.

Skills-based know-how
- Partial completion of assigned tasks, with notable inaccuracies or omissions.
- Inconsistent/limited application of basic tools or methods.

Teamwork/know-how/readiness to take responsibility
- Infrequent participation in tasks, requiring prompting to contribute.
- Shows a passive attitude and minimal engagement during the course.
- Takes little responsibility for team outcomes, relying heavily on peers.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Information-based know-how
- Competent use of terminology and core data concepts, with occasional minor errors.
- Demonstrates effective information-search and problem-solving skills with some instructor support.
- Solid theoretical knowledge, applied reasonably well to tasks and projects.

Skills-based know-how
- Completes all assignments, most accurately, with few issues.
- Consistently applies basic tools or methods.

Teamwork/know-how/readiness to take responsibility
- Actively participates in tasks, contributing to discussions and deliverables.
- Maintains a positive and cooperative attitude throughout the course.
- Shares responsibility for outcomes and shows initiative when needed.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Information-based know-how
- Mastery of professional vocabulary, with precise application in various contexts.
- Independently and creatively uses advanced information-search techniques and problem-solving approaches.
- Demonstrates deep theoretical understanding, providing insights beyond the standard course material.

Skills-based know-how
- Completes all assignments with exceptional accuracy and detail.
- Produces and delivers materials with an excellent professional footprint.
- Shows advanced proficiency in the use of tools and methods.

Teamwork/know-how/readiness to take responsibility
- Demonstrates great work in group settings, often taking the lead and fostering collaboration.
- Maintains a highly proactive, inquisitive, and enthusiastic attitude throughout the course.
- Assumes full responsibility for personal and team tasks, consistently exceeding expected outcomes.

Qualifications

Databases
Full stack programming