Computer Science · Grade 11

Active learning ideas

Capstone Software Development: Agile Development and Scoping

Active learning helps students grasp Agile development by doing what real teams do. Sprints, backlogs, and user stories become tangible when students plan them themselves. This hands-on approach reveals the structure behind Agile’s flexibility, making abstract practices concrete and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CS.HS.D.4
• CS.HS.D.1

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 45 min · Small Groups

Sprint Planning Workshop: MVP Definition

In small groups, students select a capstone app idea and brainstorm user stories on sticky notes. They prioritize features for an MVP using dot voting, then outline tasks for a two-week sprint. Groups present plans to the class for quick feedback.

How do we define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a complex idea?

Facilitation Tip

During Sprint Planning Workshop, provide a pre-written product backlog with mixed priority features so students practice prioritization under time constraints.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A team is building a new task management app.' Ask them to write one user story for the app and identify one feature that would NOT be part of the initial MVP. Collect responses to gauge understanding of user stories and MVP scoping.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 35 min · Pairs

Agile vs Waterfall Role-Play

Pairs simulate building a simple app under both models: waterfall follows a fixed sequence, Agile uses short iterations with feedback. They track time to completion and issues encountered, then discuss advantages in a whole-class debrief.

What are the benefits of iterative development over the traditional waterfall model?

Facilitation Tip

In Agile vs Waterfall Role-Play, assign students to both models for the same project to highlight delays in waterfall through real-time consequences.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine your team is halfway through a sprint and discovers a major technical issue that will delay a key feature. How would an Agile approach help your team address this challenge differently than a Waterfall approach?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 25 min · Whole Class

Team Roles Strength Matching

Students complete a quick skills survey, then in whole class, match roles like scrum master or tester to strengths via a matching game. Teams form and assign roles for a mock project kickoff.

How can team roles be assigned to maximize individual strengths in a coding project?

Facilitation Tip

For Team Roles Strength Matching, use a quick survey before the activity to identify student preferences, then guide them to roles that align with their skills.

What to look for

Students work in small groups to define an MVP for a hypothetical app. After drafting their MVP features, groups swap their lists with another group. Peer reviewers provide feedback on the clarity of the MVP definition and suggest one additional feature that could be considered essential, or one that could be deferred.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 50 min · Small Groups

Iterative Feedback Cycles

Small groups build paper prototypes of their MVP, present to another group for user story feedback, revise based on input, and repeat twice. They document changes to show iteration value.

How do we define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a complex idea?

Facilitation Tip

During Iterative Feedback Cycles, give teams a fixed time for each review to prevent over-analysis and model how feedback drives adaptation.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'A team is building a new task management app.' Ask them to write one user story for the app and identify one feature that would NOT be part of the initial MVP. Collect responses to gauge understanding of user stories and MVP scoping.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach Agile by starting with a simple project students care about, like organizing a school event. Avoid overwhelming them with jargon early. Use analogies from their lives, like planning a birthday party with a budget, to explain scoping. Research shows modeling real-world constraints builds deeper understanding than abstract definitions. Emphasize that Agile is about learning, not just producing, so failed iterations are part of the process.

Successful learning looks like students defining clear MVPs, assigning roles based on strengths, and adapting plans during iterations. They should articulate why Agile’s feedback loops improve outcomes compared to linear approaches. Evidence shows in their discussions, documents, and peer feedback.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sprint Planning Workshop, watch for students assuming Agile has no structure, expecting chaos instead of organization.

  Use the activity’s product backlog and sprint goal template to demonstrate how Agile plans are detailed yet adaptable. Have students compare their initial chaos to the structured backlog they create.

• During Agile vs Waterfall Role-Play, some students may believe Waterfall is always faster for small projects.

  Provide a scenario where requirements change mid-project. Have students time their own delays in Waterfall and contrast with Agile’s ability to pivot quickly using the role-play scripts.

• During Iterative Feedback Cycles, students might think an MVP is just a poorly made product.

  Use the activity’s prototype examples to highlight how MVPs test core assumptions with minimal effort. Ask teams to justify each feature in their MVP as a test of value, not completeness.

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Methods used in this brief

• Collaborative Problem-Solving