Micro:bit Challenge
Background
The Micro:bit Challenge is a cut down version of the Bento Box Challenge and uses BBC micro:bits as a central programming task in shorter iterations for 90 minutes in total.
The workshop was first hosted at Agile Sydney Tour 2017.
Introduction
The Micro:bit Challenge is intended for teams that have at least 1 year's agile experience in using agile practices, and are now becoming stagnant and need to get some deeper insights into the agile principles and simplify their approaches to software development.
The workshop challenges 4 x teams of 4 people to work across multiple dimensions as they work towards a central task, in this case, programming Micro:bits. The workshop is split between 3 iterations or experiments as the teams are taken on a journey that challenges their approaches of how they can work towards their goals.
The outcomes of the workshop are a shared learning experience that continues after the workshop. It is quite possible that teams may change their thinking style about agile as a result of the workshop, and may not be able to freely express what they have learned at the end of the workshop. Hence, the final debrief section is very important to help the teams assimilate the experience and their feelings towards what they have achieved and how they did it.
A post workshop get together is recommended a week or so after the workshop to help the team process what they have learned and how they have applied it within their workplace.
Dimensions
- The first dimension are the challenges that the teams face through each iteration and experiment, with a new challenge being presented at the start of each experiment:
- The first challenge is "Overcome". Teams will need to orientate themselves to the tasks and will need to crash through their initial fears and anxieties to get ahead. Hence this challenge is about enabling the teams to create their first prototype quickly and reduce the procrastination that they may be experiencing
- The second challenge is "Explore" to encourage the teams to begin to stretch their boundaries and become familiar with the problem and solution. Working on side experiments, prototyping or just trying things in sandboxes to explore the possibilities are encouraged here.
- The third challenge is "Converge". The teams may have worked well in the first and second challenges, but time is running out and the teams will have to make critical decisions to begin to converge their solution to something that is viable and provides a high quality solution, and delivering as much value within the time constraint.
- The second dimension is the learning styles used to learn about the central task. These include:
- Learning by receiving knowledge, either reading or other means of information acquisition
- Learning by comprehending as the teams begin to process what the information means and what their solution should be
- Learning by doing, as the teams begin to build the elements of the central task
- Learning by teaching, as the teams review and provide feedback to each other about the central task
Learning Objectives
- How to simplify their approaches to creating an output
- Realisation of what being agile is rather than just doing agile
- Raises deeper questions about their approach to agile
Materials
- Workshop Kanban Cards + Debrief Kanban Cards to communicate the flow of the workshop
- Timer to help the teams understand the rhythms of the workshop
- Challenge Cards + envelopes
- Task Cards & cheat sheet
- Flip chart paper + markers
- Post it notes + sharpies
- 4 x laptops with compatible browsers for the micro:bit programming interfaces, e.g. Firefox or Chrome
- 8 x micro:bits, 4 x usb cables, 4 x battery packs
- Debrief Cards
Workshop Flow
Connections
The connections of the workshop include the following aspects:
- connection to the workshop - opening is done with an opening circle to allow the attendees to reframe and get in tune with the workshop
- connection to each other - self selecting which teams the participants want to work with
- connection to the task - introduction of the task at hand and what the teams should look to provide
- connection to the methods - descriptions of the challenges within each iteration are introduced via a card in an envelope opened at the start of each iteration
Concepts & Concrete Practice
Concepts are introduced with a challenge card and a task card in envelopes that are opened at the start of each iteration. The iterations are then started with the teams responding to the task and challenges to product the outputs of the Challenge. Depending upon the task, there may be supplied equipment and information in the form of concept centres for the teams to use to produce good solutions.
The emphasis is on learning through understanding, applying and then teaching others, as the teams incorporate new information from the concept centres, apply it to their solutions that they are producing, and then using the outputs to teach others.
Conclusions
Conclusions are provided with a structured debrief with cards to evoke deeper observations or feelings experienced during the workshop. A reasonable amount of time for a paced and structured debrief allows the attendees to provide some structured self reflection and deeper insights into the experience, and allows them to learn from their activities.
In addition, there may also be a follow up discussion exercise where the teams reform to discuss what subsequent insights and observations they made after the course and how they have applied their learning to the work.
Half Day Implementation
| Start | Finish | Duration | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | 09:00 | 30 mins | Arrive | |
| 09:00 | 09:40 | 40 mins | Welcome + Connection | * Opening circle - 5 min * Team formation - 5 min * Explain task - 5 min * Explain the mechanics of the workshop |
| 09:40 | 09:45 | 5 mins | Experiment #1: Intro | * Introduce next part of the Task * Introduce next challenge - OVERCOME |
| 09:45 | 10:05 | 20 mins | Experiment #1: Build | * Build prototypes with the equipment provided |
| 10:05 | 10:15 | 10 mins | Experiment #1: Feedback & Insights | * Participants provide feedback to the teams e.g. market place or sequential depending on number of attendees |
| 10:15 | 10:20 | 5 mins | Break | |
| 10:20 | 10:25 | 5 mins | Experiment #2: Intro | * Introduce next part of the Task * Introduce next challenge - HARMONISE |
| 10:25 | 10:45 | 20 mins | Experiment #2: Build | * Build prototypes with the equipment provided |
| 10:45 | 10:55 | 10 mins | Experiment #2: Feedback & Insights | * Participants provide feedback to the teams |
| 10:55 | 11:00 | 5 mins | Break | |
| 11:00 | 11:05 | 5 mins | Experiment #3: Intro | * Introduce next part of the Task * Introduce next challenge - EVOLVE |
| 11:05 | 11:25 | 20 mins | Experiment #3: Build | * Build prototypes with the equipment provided |
| 11:25 | 11:35 | 10 mins | Experiment #3: Feedback & Insights | * Participants provide feedback to the teams |
| 11:35 | 11:40 | 5 mins | Break | |
| 11:40 | 11:45 | 5 mins | Experiment #4: Intro | * Introduce next part of the Task * Introduce next challenge - TRANSCEND |
| 11:45 | 12:05 | 20 mins | Experiment #4: Build | * Build prototypes with the equipment provided |
| 12:05 | 12:15 | 10 mins | Experiment #4: Feedback & Insights | * Participants provide feedback to the teams |
| 12:15 | 12:20 | 5 mins | Break | |
| 12:20 | 12:50 | 30 mins | Debrief | * Debrief cards in pairs + shareback |
| 12:50 | 13:00 | 10 mins | Close | * Closing circle |