TEACH AS YOU DEVELOP

This short bill has been refactored by taking into account the feedback provided by the students of this year's session.

I find that a interesting way to teach software development to students is to teach as you develop: Plan, Do, Check, Act (thanks Mr.Demming).
Therefore, the course is led as a software development project.

PLAN!
Each lesson starts by a short and focused meeting. During this 15-minute project meeting, we

• recall the important matters teached in the former session, and
  
• identify what we commit to deal with in the current session.
  

Each feature to teach is then estimated to check it will fit in the day's lesson.

DO!
I never delay an answer to a student's question - even if it forces me to change and re-plan the sequence of the course. The course is driven by the students needs. It must be adaptative.

CHECK!
At the end of each lesson, the students must fill-in a short anonymous evaluation. They are asked provide the following feedback:

• What is really important in today's course?
• What did you not understand clearly (and did not dare to ask orally ;o)?
• Is there something we forgot to talk of?
  
• Do you have any remarks to improve the lesson's animation?

ACT!
With this feedback, I try to continuously improve my teaching and insist on the important matters the students have misundersood (because I was'nt clear enough).

CHECK! (again)
Then, at the end of the full course, I give the students a full anonymous evaluation.

• Rate the contents from 1 to 4.
• Rate the animation from 1 to 4.
• What did you prefer in this course?
• What did you not enjoy in this course?
  
• Do you have any suggestion to improve the course?
• Would you recommend this course to another student?
  

ACT! (again)
With this feedback I try to improve next year's session.

I believe this practice of teaching software development enables students to feel what a develoment project is like. Indeed:

• The customer (the students) are involved in the project (the lesson).

• Each lesson is an increment of knowledge.

• Each lesson is an iteration.

• Each iteration starts with a little planning, a little estimating and some short-term commitment.

• The planning is not predictive. It is adaptative as the contents of an increment (or lesson) may change according to the customers (the students) needs (questions and remarks).

• Each iteration ends with a retrospective to provide feedback to improve the next iteration.

I haven't yet managed to practice continuous testing, as the students would feel the pressure too hard ... one day maybe ;o)