Agile Planning for Software Products

This course covers the techniques required to break down and map requirements into plans that will ultimately drive software production.Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Create effective plans for software development
• Map user requirements to developer tasks
• Assess and plan for project risks
• Apply velocity-driven planning techniques
• Generate work estimates for software products

• Create effective plans for software development

• Map user requirements to developer tasks

• Assess and plan for project risks

• Apply velocity-driven planning techniques

Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Module 1: Introduction to Planning
Welcome to the first module! In this module, you will be learning some basic principles that you will need for effective planning. You will start this module off with an introduction to planning. You will then learn about how planning, and the approach you take to planning, can reduce uncertainty in your project. We will then move onto learning how to breakdown a project into small, manageable pieces, and how to organize those pieces. Finally, we will go over the differences between estimates, targets, and commitments. Together, these lessons will build a good base for learning planning techniques at both the release and iteration level.
Week 2
Module 2: Project Planning
Welcome to module 2! Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with general principles in project planning, let’s talk about some specific ways that you can use to implement those techniques. We’ll first discuss the concepts of story points and velocity, then move into how time boxing can be used to improve your project efficiency. We’ll then introduce the Gantt chart, a basic tried and true method of visualizing project tasks. We’ll finish off with techniques for planning your project at a release level, which will set the stage for iteration planning in the next module.
Week 3
Module 3: Iteration Planning
This module will be focusing on planning techniques at the iteration or sprint level. You will start by looking at various techniques for estimating task time. You will then look at task dependencies in more detail. This will come in handy when you learn two visual planning charts–the Critical Path Method chart, and the PERT chart. Finally, you will learn the process for creating an iteration plan. By the end of this module, you will have the tools you need to plan sprints or iterations for development.
Week 4
Module 4: Risk Planning
You’ve made it to the last module, congratulations! Here, we’re going to talk about what can cause projects to fail. We’ll start off by discussing common causes of failures, including anti-patterns. Then, you’ll learn how to assess risks, looking at their likelihood and potential impact on the project. We’ll end on an optimistic note by leaving you with strategies for intervening when risks present themselves and avoiding those risks to begin with.

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

It's a solid addition to get the specialization certificate. I may give it 4.5+ stars, but the course resources are exceptional - its like they wrote their own textbook almost.

Another excellent course from the good folk at University of Alberta. Quizzes are relevant and challenging, and the written assignments are well constructed.

Lots of well structured content, easy to follow and informative. You know it's the tip of a large iceberg, so it's a very good way to start and let you wanting for more.

The tutorials were very clear and crisp. Best part was the graded assignments and the opportunity to review peer assignments and learn from work of others