Teaching User Stories in Agile Scrum

A Comprehensive Guide for Educators

1. Begin with the Basics

What is a User Story?

"A user story is a short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the end-user or customer."

Key Components:
  • Who: The type of user
  • What: The desired feature or functionality
  • Why: The benefit or value

Standard Format:

As a [type of user], I want [a specific feature or functionality] so that [the benefit it brings].

Example:

As a shopper, I want to view product reviews so that I can make an informed purchasing decision.

2. INVEST Criteria

Criterion Description Example
Independent The story should stand alone Can be developed without depending on other stories
Negotiable Not a contract but a conversation Details can be discussed and refined
Valuable Deliver clear value to the user Solves a real user need
Estimable Can be estimated in terms of effort Team can assess the work involved
Small Can be completed within one sprint Fits within a single iteration
Testable Clear criteria to confirm completion Has defined acceptance criteria

3. Hands-On Activity: Group Brainstorming

Library Management System Example

Step 1: Identify User Personas

  • Students
  • Librarians
  • Administrators

Step 2: Create User Stories

Example Story:

As a librarian, I want to add new books to the catalog so that users can borrow them.

4. Acceptance Criteria

Example User Story with Acceptance Criteria

Story: As a user, I want to search for books by title so that I can quickly find what I need.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Users can search by partial or full title
  • Results are displayed in order of relevance
  • A "No results found" message is shown if no books match

5. Story Point Estimation

Fibonacci Sequence for Story Points

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21

Points Complexity
1 Very simple task
3 Simple task
5 Medium complexity
8 Complex task
13+ Very complex (consider breaking down)

6. Story Refinement Process

Refinement Checklist





7. Teaching Tools and Tips

Recommended Tools:

Best Practices for Teachers: