IBE205 Agile Methods (Autumn 2026)

The course provides an introduction to modern agile ways of working and hands-on practice in systems development and the digitalization of other products and processes. Students will learn how agile methods are established and implemented in modern organizations and teams.

The course covers core agile principles as they support technical development, collaboration, continuous improvement, value creation, prioritization, and adaptation to changes in requirements and external conditions.

Through a practical project, students gain experience with modern development processes, including version control, automated testing, continuous integration, and collaboration in distributed development teams. The course also emphasizes reflection on how agile ways of working can be adapted to different types of projects, organizations, and technological contexts.

Knowledge

The student:

• has knowledge of key agile principles, ways of working, and practices in modern systems development
• is familiar with how agile teams are organized and collaborate in development projects
• has an understanding of the relationship between development, testing, quality assurance, and continuous delivery
• is familiar with how digital collaboration tools and automation are used in modern development processes
• can explain the advantages and challenges of agile ways of working in different organizational and technological contexts

Skills

The student is able to:

• actively participate in agile development projects and apply key agile practices
• plan, prioritize, and follow up work in a development team
• use tools for version control, task management, and collaboration in software projects
• contribute to testing, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of development processes
• reflect on and adapt ways of working to different projects and teams

General competence

The student:

• can collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary development teams
• can communicate about development processes, priorities, and project status
• has an understanding of how agile ways of working impact organization, collaboration, and value creation
• can acquire and apply new methods, tools, and practices in modern systems development

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The course combines lectures, workshops, and project work. Students work in teams on a continuous development project where agile ways of working and modern development tools are applied in practice.

Emphasis is placed on practical collaboration, reflection, and continuous feedback throughout the semester. The work is organized as iterative project deliveries, where students develop, test, and further refine solutions through multiple development cycles.

Students use tools for version control, task management, code review, and automated testing as an integrated part of the work process. The teaching may be conducted as a combination of on-campus and digital activities.

Instruction will be given in Norwegian or English. Exam assignments and other written materials will be in English.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• None

Assessment format: Group submissions with an individual final grade. Students are assigned to groups by the course instructor. It is not permitted to form your own groups or submit individual reports for assessment.

Students work in teams on a continuous development project throughout the semester. The project is delivered as four iterative partial reports that are assessed during the course. Each part consists of a joint project deliverable, individual documentation/reflection, and, where applicable, an associated presentation or academic discussion.

For each submission, some groups are selected or randomly chosen for mandatory oral examination. The oral component is used to assess understanding, reflection, collaboration, work process, and academic contributions.

The assessment is based on both product and process, including collaboration, code quality, testing, continuous integration, use of development tools, reflections, and the ability to improve. Project work is documented through the use of tools for version control, code review, explanation of other artifacts, and automated workflows.

The use of AI-based development tools is permitted as support in the development work. Students must be able to explain, evaluate, and further develop both these tools and other solutions used in the project.

Each submission is given a grade based on the project work, technical deliverables, documentation, and any oral examination. The overall assessment forms the basis for the final individual grade (A-F).