Service-Learning through Agile Software Development

Service-learning is a pedagogical approach that has been used by many in software engineering courses to provide students with a real-world approach to learning software-development skills. This chapter describes an approach to service-learning in the software engineering classroom that involves a central clearinghouse and maintenance center for service-learning project requests, use of agile methods, and collaboration with a technical communication course. The chapter describes the benefits and drawbacks to service-learning in a software engineering course, rationale behind using agile methods, the course layout, specifics of the collaboration, the final feedback of the community partners and students involved, and a discussion of lessons learned.