Agile with Atlassian Jira

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/agile-atlassian-jira

Introduction

### Course Review: Agile with Atlassian Jira **Platform**: Coursera **Offered By**: Atlassian #### Overview The "Agile with Atlassian Jira" course is an insightful journey into the world of agile methodologies, tailored specifically for individuals looking to enhance their skills in agile project management. The course effectively combines foundational principles with practical application using the widely acclaimed Jira Software Cloud, equipping participants with essential tools and techniques applicable across various roles in an agile team, including product owners, scrum masters, project managers, and team members. #### Course Structure The course is structured into four comprehensive modules, each designed to build upon the last, facilitating a smooth learning progression: 1. **Agile Overview I**: In this module, students are introduced to the agile mindset and the significance of visualizing work. The module emphasizes the Kanban method, allowing learners to create a custom Kanban board using a free Jira Software Cloud site. This hands-on approach ensures that theorical principles are grounded in practical experience right from the start. 2. **Agile Overview II**: Diving deeper, this module unpacks the Scrum framework, covering essential concepts such as increments, sprints, backlogs, and velocity. Students engage in executing a sprint within Jira, reinforcing the practical use of agile methodologies. Furthermore, an exploration of lean principles, including discussions surrounding the Toyota Production System and the Agile Manifesto, enriches understanding of the "why" behind Agile. 3. **Configure Jira I**: The third module transitions from theory to practice, focusing on configuring Jira to align with agile processes. Participants gain proficiency in Jira Query Language (JQL), learning to create filters and custom issue types that reflect their team's needs. This skills-focused approach helps students tailor Jira to their evolving processes effectively. 4. **Configure Jira II**: Concluding the course, this module extends the configuration techniques learned previously, addressing more complex aspects of Jira. Participants will create epics, set versions for product updates, and manage user permissions, solidifying their role as Jira administrators. The final project encapsulates the course objectives, requiring students to configure Jira to adapt to continuous changes in their agile processes. #### Review and Recommendations Having completed the "Agile with Atlassian Jira" course, I can confidently say it offers substantial value for anyone involved in agile project management, whether new to the field or looking to refresh their skills. The blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application provides learners with the flexibility they require to navigate the complexities of agile environments. **Strengths**: - **Hands-On Learning**: Each module includes practical exercises using Jira, ensuring that students can apply concepts immediately. - **Comprehensive Content**: The course covers a wide range of concepts, from Agile fundamentals to advanced Jira configurations, making it suitable for various skill levels. - **Expert Instruction**: Atlassian, being the creator of Jira, offers authentic insights into effectively utilizing the tool within agile frameworks. **Potential Areas for Improvement**: - **Pacing**: Some learners may find the transition between modules rapid; provision for additional supplemental resources could enhance understanding for those new to agile methodologies. - **Community Interaction**: While the course includes hands-on components, a forum for networking and interaction with fellow learners could further enrich the learning experience. #### Conclusion In conclusion, I highly recommend the "Agile with Atlassian Jira" course for anyone eager to deepen their understanding of agile methodologies and enhance their project management capabilities. The course's practical focus ensures that you'll leave not only with theoretical knowledge but also with usable skills directly applicable to real-world scenarios. Embrace the agile mindset and leverage Jira to streamline your team's processes—enroll today and take your first step towards agile proficiency!

Syllabus

AGILE OVERVIEW I

This module provides an overview of the agile mindset. It introduces Atlassian Jira as a tool used to implement agile principles for team project work. Students use a free Jira Software Cloud site to go through the hands-on exercises in this course. We cover the importance of visualizing work, and provide an overview of the kanban agile method. Students will create a custom kanban board.

This module start with an overview of scrum, including scrum concepts such as increments, sprints, sprint goals, backlogs, estimation, velocity, common scrum reports, roles and events. You will then execute a sprint using Jira. The rest of the module focuses more on the "why" of agile, and provided a foundational understanding of lean and agile principles. The Toyota Production System is discussed, as this could be considered as the foundation of lean thinking. The Agile Manifesto is also discussed in quite some detail.

This module focuses on configuring Jira to match your agile process. This is a more hands-on module than the previous module. Every team has a unique, continuously evolving agile process. Their tools need to be able to adapt to these changes. We will start by discussing searching, then discuss Jira Query Language (JQL). A solid understanding of JQL helps with the rest of the course and in your continuing use of Jira after the course. We will discuss creating filters, custom issue types and configuring issues to show the information that your team cares about.

In this module, we continue configuring Jira in order to be able to match the tool to our team's custom agile process. We will discuss and create epics, which are large issues that may contain other issues. We will discuss and create versions, which are a set of issues that usually make up a product update. We discuss users and permissions. Since you are the administrator of the free Jira Software Cloud site that you use for this course, you should know how to invite users to your site and configure permissions so that the right access is granted to users. We end the course with a final project. You will be asked to configure Jira to keep up with your team's continuous changes to their agile process.