Applying Professional Scrum

Delivered as an Immersive class of 10 sessions of 4h over 8 weeks (s).

Welcome to the Applying Professional Scrum (APS) course. This transformative learning journey is designed specifically for Team Members, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Managers keen to grasp and infuse Scrum values and principles into their work through practical case studies leveraging the engaging medium of Minecraft.

The product landscape keeps evolving, and a comprehensive understanding of Scrum is beneficial and crucial for contemporary teams. Agile practices empower organisations to be more flexible, responsive, and efficient amidst fluctuating market dynamics.

Learning Objectives

This course aims to help participants:

• Discover the Concept of Agility: Explore the essence of agility and how Scrum stands apart from traditional plan-driven work models, using Minecraft as an engaging and illustrative medium.
• Cultivate an Agile Mindset: Develop an Agile mindset by emphasizing professionalism, experimentation, and outcomes through creative building and problem-solving scenarios within Minecraft.
• Grasp the Essentials of Scrum: Learn or refresh your knowledge on the fundamentals of Scrum and understand how to apply them accurately through in-game Scrum simulations in Minecraft.
• Experience Scrum in Action: Gain insights into what it feels like to utilize Scrum by participating in Minecraft-based collaborative projects, and evaluate if Scrum is the appropriate approach for your team.
• Excel as a Scrum Team Member: Learn how to become an exceptional member of a Scrum Team, or how to facilitate a high-performing Scrum Team, through teamwork, communication, and planning challenges in Minecraft.
• Identify and Evade Common Pitfalls: Conclude the class with the ability to recognize common Scrum pitfalls and learn strategies to circumvent them, illustrated through Minecraft scenarios.
• Employ Proven Practices: Engage in a set of tried-and-tested practices within the Minecraft environment during the class that can be transferred to enhance your real-life application of Scrum.
• Take Away Practical Tools: Depart the course equipped with practical tools and strategies, to assist in identifying the initial steps in applying Professional Scrum with your team.

Course Features:

1. Expert Facilitation: The course is led by seasoned Agile practitioners who bring their real-world experience to the table and provide insights into practical applications of Agile methodologies.
2. Immersive Learning: This course employs a blend of lectures, case studies, group discussions, and interactive exercises in Minecraft to establish a dynamic learning environment.
3. Certification: Upon completing the course and successfully passing the assessment, participants will receive the Professional Scrum Master I certificate from Scrum.org.

This course is not merely an introduction to Scrum; it's a comprehensive exploration of Scrum’s capacity to revolutionise your delivery style, team, and entire organisation through empirical practices. It's vital training for those wishing to harness the potency of Scrum to augment their effectiveness and adaptability in an increasingly complex business environment.

Join the Applying Professional Scrum with Minecraft course and arm yourself with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to lead in the Agile world.

Why do we use Minecraft?

In order to create a level playing field, while maintaining a complex environment for teams to experience Sprints in the context of Scrum we use Minecraft for Education. Minecraft allows team members to practice Scrum in the complex and chaotic environment of Minecraft to experience the high-variance world of complex product development. We use Minecraft Education Edition to bring complexity to life in a scenario that everyone can experience regardless of their technical ability.

The course also includes two free attempts at the globally recognized Professional Scrum Master I certification exam (PSM I)

To better connect the participants to the material on the APS, we deliver the course as an immersive 10-week interactive activity-based course over ten sessions of 4 hours. At the end of each session, participants are given assignments to practice and experience their day-to-day roles. With the instructor-practitioner, participants debrief assignments at the beginning of the group’s next session.

Syllabus

• Week 1: Kickoff / Sprint 1
  Assignment: Understand how we work
• Week 2: Fundamentals of Scrum
  Debrief: Understand how we work
  Assignment: Becoming more agile
• Week 3: Exploring the Scrum Framework
  Debrief: Becoming more agile
  Assignment: Scrum exists only in its entirety
• Week 4: Sprint 2
  Debrief: Scrum exists only in its entirety
  Assignment: Boundaries are important for self-management
• Week 5: Deeper into the Scrum Framework
  Debrief: Boundaries are important for self-management
  Assignment:  Improving the conduct of Scrum Events
• Week 6: Sprint 3
  Debrief: Improving the conduct of Scrum Events
  Assignment: Collaboration is key in a self-managing team
• Week 7: Planning with Scrum
  Debrief: Collaboration is key in a self-managing team
  Assignment: Agile planning in working empirically
• Week 8: Sprint 4
  Debrief: Agile planning in working empirically
  Assignment: Agile planning in working empirically
• Week 9: Getting Started and Next Steps
  Debrief: Continuous improvement in a Scrum Team
  Assignment: Applying Professional Scrum as the next step
• Week 10: Closing & Plan for continuous learning and Improvement
  Debrief: Applying Professional Scrum as the next step
  Assignment: Take the PSM I assessment.

 Why us?

It takes a great deal of expertise, experience, and commitment to master Scrum and that's why naked Agility are so selective when it comes to selecting and partnering with Professional Scrum Trainers from around the world.

In this short video, Martin Hinshelwood - CEO of NKD Agility and Professional Scrum Trainer - explains how Scrum trainers are selected and why the process is so rigurous.

About NKD Agility

Naked Agility is an agile consultancy specialising in Scrum training, agile coaching and agile consulting to help teams evolve, integrate, and continuously improve. We recognize the positive impact that a happy AND inspired workforce can have on customer experience, and we actively help organizations to tap into the power of creative, collaborative, and high-performing teams that is unique to agile and scrum environments. If you are interested in agile training, visit https://nkdagility.com/training/ If you have identified the need for agikle coaching and agile consulting, visit https://nkdagility.com/agile-consulting-coaching/ We would love to work with you.

Learning Experience

• Flipped Learning Experience - This class has 14 hours of live virtual classroom experience. This is complemented by additional presentations and lectures in the form of videos, reading material, and writing activities provided for self-study, complemented by 1/2 day live virtual sessions delivered online using Microsoft Teams and Mural. These live interactive workshops create a dynamic and interactive environment where we dive into the core concepts of Scrum for teams through group activities, interactions, and sharing experiences, all with the guidance of an expert Professional Scrum Trainer. 
• The League of Extraordinary Lean-Agile Practitioners - We are providing a Lean-Agile Community in Mighty Networks that anyone can join and participate in the conversations. If you attend a class with us, you will get access to additional extraordinary content. Join Today! 
• 1-hour Coaching Session - Every student gets a 1-hour complimentary remote Coaching Session with your trainer, worth £200, to help you integrate concepts into your context (at a mutually agreeable time following the course). Use it for a 1on1 session, a group session with your team, or a chat with your leadership. 
• Learning Review - Regardless of the outcome of your assessment, you get additional 1-on-1 help to focus your learning in the form of a 30 Minute Assessment Review worth £100

Discounts & Concessions

• Alumni Discount of 30% - Have you been through a class with us before? As an Alumni, you get a 30% discount on all of our classes. Combine with our generous 20% Credit per Referral program.

• Under / un-employed Program - Are you underemployed? Our Retraining Program provides favourable payment plans for those not currently working. Pay a 30% deposit now and the rest when you are working.

• Unlimited Reruns for 70% discount - Reruns allow you to participate in a class you have already taken for any reason at a low cost. Have you participated in this class with us or an equivalent from another vendor? We are intent on enabling your continuous learning, so we offer you a Rerun discount of 70% to retake it with our trainers. Contact us with proof of participation in a previous class to claim your discount. For Scrum.org classes from another trainer, please provide your Scrum.org Profile URL showing that associated class. For Scrum Alliance, you will need to provide a receipt. Not sure? Contact us for a chat.

• 20% Credit per Referral - Our Advocates Program allows you to earn 20% for each referral as a credit for future classes! This is a cash equivalent, so it can be added to any other discount. Combine with other coupons and discounts, like the Alumni Discount of 30%

• Supporting the World with Dynamic Pricing - We want to support the world and provide access to our class for everyone regardless of their socioeconomic region or corporate status. Based on your socioeconomic region around the world, you can get a rate for our services that meets your needs. This applies to both corporate and consumer rates. Your market will be selected, and any concessions will be applied automatically initially by geolocation, then by billing address.

  • Primary Market – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

  • Secondary Market – All countries not listed as primary.

  • Tertiary Market – Africa & India.

  • Charity/Non-Profit Market – If your organisation is a registered charity or a non-profit,, please get in touch.

Our Customers

naked Agility has worked with many customers over the years, and while we sometimes do longer engagements, we often work in short-term consulting with big impact. 

• Medical/Healthcare - Genus Breeding Ltd, Alignment Healthcare, Healthgrades, ALS Life Sciences, Illumina, Philips, Milliman, Bistech
• Technology/Professional Services - Microsoft, Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG), New Signature, Workday, Lean SA, Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd, NIT A/S, Xceptor – Process and Data Automation, Akaditi, SuperControl, Trayport, Slicedbread, Freadom, Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company), Emerson Process Management, Big Data for Humans, Deloitte, Ericson
• Banking/Finance - CR2, Qualco, Brandes Investment Partners L.P., Hubtel Ghana, Rabobank International, Sage
• Military/Airpospace - Royal Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Teleplan, Boeing
• Government - Department of Work and Pensions (UK), Ghana Police Service, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Nottingham County Council, Washington Department of Transport, Washington Department of Enterprise Services, New Hampshire Supreme Court
• Maritime - Kongsberg Maritime, DFDS
• Other - YearUp.org, Graham & Brown, Boxit Document Solutions, ProgramUtvikling, Jack Links, Slaughter and May, Schlumberger

Official Suppliers of:

Microsoft | NHS Scotland

Join us for a virtual experience via Microsoft Teams and Mural!

Virtual Classroom Details

• Each session lasts between 60-75 minutes with short breaks of 5-10 minutes.
• We've chosen not to record the workshop to foster an open environment.
• We cap our workshop at 12 participants for a more intimate experience.
• Tools you'll be using: Microsoft Teams, Mural, and Mighty Networks.
• Online learning is almost on par with in-person sessions. Just remember, collaborating online might take a tad longer.

Golden Rules

• Keep those cameras and mics on.
• Punctuality is key.
• No multitasking with meetings, calls, or emails during sessions.
• Stay aware and let others have their moment.
• Stick to the agenda. If you need extra guidance, there's a free coaching session for each participant.

Inclusive Features

• Live captions are available in any language supported by Microsoft Teams for our hearing-impaired friends and those who need a little extra help.
• After the class, join the "naked Agility with Martin Hinshelwood Community" to connect with like-minded individuals.

Payment & Cancellation

• Payment is upfront, with no exceptions.
• UK clients, please note there's an additional VAT.
• We're not liable for any costs from cancellations or rescheduling.
• We need a certain number of participants to run the class.
• Rarely, courses might be cancelled due to insufficient participants. We're not responsible for any related costs.
• You can cancel up to the online ticketing deadline. Refunds might have some deductions.
• Postponing? Give us at least three business days' notice. Otherwise, it's considered a cancellation with no refund.
• Electronic manuals and Scrum.org assessment fees are covered. Physical manuals? Not so much.

Setting Up Your Virtual Space

Participating in virtual classes requires some prep. Here's what we recommend:

• Equipment: A computer that can run Mural and a device for Microsoft Teams. Multiple monitors are a plus but not a must.
• MS Teams: Install it from here. It's best to use the app on Mac, Windows, or mobile rather than the web interface.
• Appearance: We've seen it all - shadows, half-faces, up-nose, and more. Being visible and present is crucial. Think of how you'd present yourself in a physical meeting.
• Camera: A good quality one is essential. The Elgato Facecam comes highly recommended.
• Lighting: Ensure you're well-lit. Consider getting a face light, especially if you're in darker environments.
• Microphone: Laptop mics aren't the best. Consider investing in a quality one, like the Elgato Wave or Yeti Blue Microphone. Use Krisp Noise Canceling to prevent background noise.
• Background: A wall behind you works best if you're using a virtual background. Curious about my background? Just ask!
• Attire: Wear what makes you comfortable. Whether it's formal wear, casuals, or even jammies, as long as it's appropriate, you're good to go.

Remember, the key is to be present and engaged. Let's make the most of this virtual experience together!