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Sprinting in the Classroom?



In the world of software development, there is a movement towards using a "Sprint" as a way to improve productivity. The basic idea is that a development team meets and agrees on a work outcome. They are given a short period of time to build their product. They then meet to show the group their outcome. They get feedback and set up another sprint to adapt their work based on the feedback.

I have been chatting with groups of teachers about the power of sprints in the classroom. Here is an example of what we have discussed:
Instead of giving students a long period of time to work on a project, try giving them a very short period of time (5-10 minutes) to sketch out their product. Then share it with a partner and get feedback. Now give them time to reflect on the feedback and adapt their sketch to the feedback. Continue this cycle of work/feedback/reflect multiple times. 
Here are a few reasons why this process works better than just giving them the longer period of work time.

  1. The focus is on getting started. With a short time to work, they don't waste time overplanning. They jump right in.
  2. The sketch gives them something to discuss with their partner. By coming to the table with an idea, it makes the discussions better. Rather than talking about an idea, they are getting started right away!
  3. Getting feedback throughout the project leads to better quality products. Too often, we just grade the final product. It is too late at this point for students to respond to the feedback. 
  4. Teaching students the power of iteration is a powerful way to help them focus on continuous improvement!
So have you been putting off assigning project based assessments to your students because you are worried that they will take too long or students might get off task? Try using sprints as a way to keep refocusing your students on improving their projects!
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