HSI Pilot Project: Improving Student Success through Agile Project Management Teaching and Learning

This project aims to improve student success through Agile project management teaching and learning. At Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), Information Technology (ITEC) Department is the department with the largest student population. To improve retention and graduation rates, this project will increase student engagement in technology learning opportunities. The project proposes to integrate the teaching and learning of Agile project management in the ITEC courses to improve the academic outcomes and career readiness of ITEC students. Agile not only has been successfully applied in industry projects but also has been adapted to manage class projects and life projects. Applying Agile will help students to be productive and organized. The expected outcomes of the project are increased student knowledge on Agile, increased student academic success, and improved student career preparation for Agile project management. The specific aims of the project are to improve teaching and learning in Agile project management to enhance success for students and to provide mentoring and career development opportunities. The project includes the development of inclusive Agile project management teaching materials and assisting faculty in creating Agile integrated course projects, so that students can improve their academic performance and better balance their life, study, and work. The project will include mentoring activities for participating students, partnering with student organizations to host workshops and competitions on project management, and provide opportunities for students to participate in Agile projects in industry. These activities will help students to learn the skills of a project manager in real life, build relationships with project managers in industry, and encourage them to pursue a career as a project manager. The project objectives include increased enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, developing a skilled workforce, and promoting careers in Information Technology fields. The project team will conduct research on which Agile project management teaching methods and project procedures are most effective for undergraduate students. The research findings and project results will be published and shared with the STEM education community to improve the education outcomes and success of students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.