"Agile Methods - Silver
Bullet or Red Herring ?"
Alastair Irons
Abstract
Despite the ubiquitous nature of computing and the prevalence of computing systems there remains a crisis in the Computing and Software Engineering Industry. The "Software Crisis" suggests there is an environment where systems are developed over budget and late, systems do not meet user requirements, systems fail and (perhaps perversely) there is a huge backlog in the demand for systems waiting to be developed. Agile Methods such as Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) and eXtreme Programming (XP) seek to address man of the reasons for failure in systems development and promote a different way of tackling development problems. The talk will outline the tools and techniques associated with Agile Methods indicating the benefits and opportunities afforded by adopting and using Agile Methods as well as exploring some of the issues and potential pitfalls.
Biography
Alastair is currently Associate Dean in the School of Computing, Engineering and Information Science (CEIS) at Northumbria University. Alastair is a Fellow of the BCS as well as a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association. Before moving into Higher Education in 1991, Alastair worked for ICI on Teesside as a Systems Analyst. In the School of CEIS he teaches in a number of discipline areas in the School including User Centred Methods, Agile Methods, Computer Ethics and Computer Forensics. Currently he is undertaking research into the teaching of computer forensics and the ethical issues associated with computer forensics.
Alastair is also involved in a wide range of educational research and has been commissioned to write a book on Formative Assessment and Formative Feedback. His other current major educational interest is in the use of ICT in learning and teaching. He recently edited a text on "Effective Learning and Teaching in Computing" for the HE Academy. He is currently working on book in the Effective Teaching in Higher Education series entitled "Formative Assessment and Formative Feedback".
