Scrum in Depth

Online Course

Learn everything you need to ensure you’re getting the most out of Scrum.

Get started for $1

About Scrum in Depth

  Duration: 8h 27m
  Resources: Workbook, Facilitator Guide, Key Points, Quizzes

Scrum’s roles and ceremonies are easy to understand, but most organizations still struggle with implementing Scrum. Is the daily scrum a status meeting? What good is a burndown chart? Construx’s Scrum training answers common Scrum questions and reintroduces Scrum as Scrum was designed to be. Construx’s work with agile leaders and on first-time Scrum implementations allows Construx to present not just the what of Scrum but also the why.

Guiding you through the detailed ins and outs that you need to succeed with Scrum, this course combines key aspects from the Scrum Guide with specific best practices based upon the instructor’s direct consulting experience with dozens of companies that have transitioned to Scrum.

Ask us about our virtual or in-person options for this course.

Through this online Scrum course, you will

  • Gain a deep understanding of Scrum processes and roles and how they apply to software development
  • Learn how to staff your Scrum team, plan your release, launch your project, and guide your project to a successful conclusion
  • Learn specific techniques for handling common issues that hinder or derail many Scrum implementations
  • Learn best practices that increase team productivity, resulting in lower project cost and reduced time to market
  • Have the knowledge required to become certified in Scrum

Lessons

Course Introduction
  • Introduction by Steve McConnell, author of CODE COMPLETE
  • Course Overview
Why Are So Many Software Projects Unsuccessful?
  • What Are We Trying To Do, and Why Aren’t We Doing It?
  • Two Key Reasons Software Projects Fail
  • Our Fundamental Problem: Poor Communication
Secrets of Successful Software Projects
  • Don’t Fix Blame, Fix the Problem
  • Four Ways to Address Project Problems
  • Recognizing Success by Collecting Feedback
  • Why Process Maturity Matters
What Is Agile?
  • Understanding Agile
  • Sequential Development (Waterfall)
  • Incremental Development
  • Agile Development
  • Comparing Different Approaches
The Agile Philosophy
  • The Agile Manifesto
  • Twelve Principles Behind the Manifesto
  • Four Key Benefits of Agile
Understanding Scrum
  • The Current State of Scrum
  • The Scrum Philosophy
  • The Scrum Process
  • What’s Different About Scrum?
  • Scrum Values
Scrum Artifacts
  • The Product Backlog
  • The Sprint Backlog
  • The Sprint Burndown Chart
Scrum Roles
  • The Scrum Master
  • The Product Owner
  • The Team Member
  • The Customer and Other Stakeholders
  • Levels of Commitment
The Sprint Planning Process
  • The Planning Meeting
  • The Sprint Planning Process
The Daily Scrum Process
  • The Daily Scrum (aka The Daily Standup)
  • Rules of the Daily Scrum
  • Agenda for the Daily Scrum
  • John’s Tips and Tricks for Running the Daily Scrum
The Sprint Review Process
  • The Sprint Review
  • Rules for the Sprint Review
  • Agenda for the Sprint Review
The Sprint Retrospective Process
  • The Sprint Retrospective
  • Demonstration: One Way to Run a Sprint Retrospective
  • Review of the Retrospective Demonstration
Understanding the Agile Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  • Overview of the Agile WBS
  • Product Backlog Items (PBIs)
  • The User Story
  • The Task
  • Organizing Backlog Items
Agile Prioritization Methods
  • Overview of Agile Prioritization
  • Determining Relative Values Using the T-Shirt Sizing Method
  • Using a Relative Value Lookup Table
  • Driving Consensus Using the Dot Voting Method
Agile Estimation Concepts
  • What is an Estimate?
  • Estimates, Targets, and Commitments
  • The Effort-Return Curve
  • Precision vs. Accuracy
  • The Cone of Uncertainty
  • Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
  • Estimate Effort, Derive Duration
Estimation Using Story Points
  • What Are Story Points?
  • The “Why” of Story Points
  • How to Estimate Story Points
  • Getting to “Yes”: Methods of Reaching Consensus Around Estimates
The Product Vision
  • Overview of the Product Vision
  • Developing a Product Vision Using the “Elevator Test” Method
Introduction to Story Mapping
  • Overview of Story Mapping
  • How to Create a User Story Map
Demonstration of Story Mapping
  • Introduction to Hierarchical Story Mapping
  • Identifying Users
  • Determining an Activity Model
  • Prioritizing Backlog Items Under Activity Model Steps
  • Identifying and Estimating Minimal Marketable Features (MMFs)
Planning in Scrum
  • Yes, We Do Plan in Scrum…Continuously!
  • Release Planning: Not Just Scheduling
  • Project Tradeoffs: Working with the “Iron Triangle”
  • How Often Do We Release?
  • Release Planning Inputs and Outputs
  • Backlog Grooming
  • Planning During the Sprint
Estimation for Release Planning
  • Overview of Release Planning Estimation
  • Using Historical Data If Possible
  • Estimating Velocity from Scratch
  • Calculating the Cost of a Project
  • Remember the Cone of Uncertainty
Scrum Best Practices
  • The Hidden Cost of Defects
  • Quality as Accelerator
  • Product Implementation Strategies
  • Working Agreements
  • The Definition of Done
  • Acceptance Criteria
  • Commitment and Collaboration
  • Working with a PMO
  • Other Tips and Tricks
Scrum Smells, Myths, and Plagues
  • Common Scrum Smells
  • The Plague Known as “Scrum But”
  • Common Myths About Agile
Scaling Scrum
  • Large Projects Are Hard to Plan
  • Strategies for Simplifying Planning
  • Large Projects Are Hard to Manage
  • Strategies to Simplify Project Management
  • Scaling Scrum to Large Projects
  • More Tips and Tricks for Scaling Scrum
Course Wrap-Up
  • Review of Course Goals

Resources

All Resources
  • Workbook

This Scrum online course is appropriate for audiences with little or no previous knowledge of Agile processes (including Scrum), and for those who are new to Scrum and would like to operate with less pain and higher productivity.

It is designed for personnel who will lead, participate in, or support Scrum projects for internal or external customers, including:

  • Software Developers
  • Software Testers
  • Software Engineering Managers
  • Scrum Masters, Project and Program Managers
  • Product Managers and Product Owners
  • Entire teams who are transitioning to Scrum

We offer our courses online, privately at our training facility in Seattle, or at your location.

Your Instructor

Earl Beede
Senior Fellow

Ratings & Reviews

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Overall rating

Excellent course as usual. I’ve been in the industry for 20+ years, working on a lot of waterfall projects, scrum-buts, scrum-so-close, scrum-in-standup-name-only, etc., with a number of gaps in how scrum ought to be implemented. I think that all of those gaps are now filled, and I feel confident pushing for the unadulterated process as a must in future projects. There were some poignant revelations on the user story topic, wbs, story mapping and estimation within scrum.

Albert Hickman, Deal Hub

The content was very well structured and maintained a consistent level of abstraction across the entire course.

John Stuart, Astronics

I appreciated the nuances highlighted in each presentation. They have helped gain an appreciation for some of the methods of customizing Scrum to fit the needs of the team or project.

Garry Champ, Microchip