Scrum as a Method of Teaching Software Architecture

In advanced software engineering courses, students profit from taking greater responsibility for and control of their own learning. Because students tend to lack knowledge about the topics they want to learn, facilitation of this learning process is not straightforward. Scrum is a well-known empirical process control model designed to manage complex activities, and is a promising method for facilitating the learning process. This idea was field-tested in a software architecture course as part of a master's degree course with a few participants. Group processes were monitored by questionnaires based on theme-centered interaction. Learning outcomes were tracked by written tests and small projects. The success of the course was compared with the courses of previous years with respect to formal evaluation and grades. Scrum helped in this course by creating a good working environment. Learning outcomes and student satisfaction were substantially better than in previous years. These results suggest that Scrum is a suitable framework for university teaching. This study may serve as the basis for future research and to inspire other instructors.