SCRUM for thesis supervision

The success rate of a master program on Information Systems and Computer Engineering (MEIC) in a Portuguese university is very unsatisfactory, showing that less than half of the students complete the assigned work in their first term. However, the success rate of a group of students that were supervised based on the Scrum framework was much higher. So, in this study we assess the current situation and identify the benefits of using Scrum to manage master’s theses. Evidence suggests that this approach increases the number of students successfully completing their projects. So, this paper discusses the issues at stake and reports on a qualitative study with focus on the actual practices and benefits reported by students in the master program. We found that some methods in the Scrum framework can address existing problems in the development of theses with very positive results.

 

Credits

Tomás, G., Mira da Silva, M. & Bidarra, J. Supervision of master theses based on Scrum: A case study. Educ Inf Technol 26, 3721–3741 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10433-2

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