Abstract
The success rate of a master program on Information Systems and Computer Engineering (MEIC) in a Portuguese university is very unsatisfactory, showing that less than half of the students complete the assigned work in their first term. However, the success rate of a group of students that were supervised based on the Scrum framework was much higher. So, in this study we assess the current situation and identify the benefits of using Scrum to manage master’s theses. Evidence suggests that this approach increases the number of students successfully completing their projects. So, this paper discusses the issues at stake and reports on a qualitative study with focus on the actual practices and benefits reported by students in the master program. We found that some methods in the Scrum framework can address existing problems in the development of theses with very positive results.
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Notes
Studies regarding the success rates of master theses can be found at http://quc.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/en/dissertacoes/
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Acknowledgements
This scientific research project was carried out following ethical guidelines accepted by IST (Instituto Superior Técnico), i.e., acknowledging the social value of the work; its scientific validity; a fair subject selection; a favorable risk/benefit ratio for the subjects; assurance of informed consent; and anonymity for all enrolled subjects. These principles were applied to data collection and treatment, and overall academic community needs and values were considered along with those of the individual.
The authors would like to thank the interviewees who participated in this case study, acknowledging their interest and the time dedicated to this research.
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One of the authors was the supervisor of the master students interviewed for the paper.
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Tomás, G., Mira da Silva, M. & Bidarra, J. Supervision of master theses based on Scrum: A case study. Educ Inf Technol 26, 3721–3741 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10433-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10433-2