Agile Innovation and Problem Solving Skills

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Agile Innovation and Problem Solving Skills

This course is part of Agile Project Management Specialization

Instructor: John Johnson

Included with Coursera Plus

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

6 hours to complete

3 weeks at 2 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

6 hours to complete

3 weeks at 2 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

26 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Agile Project Management Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

Innovative products and services change lives, and having the right innovative process creates an competitive advantage. Ultimately, innovation is about one thing: problem solving.

As an agile problem solver, you'll need to expand your critical thinking skills to address the key sources of risk in developing best solutions for your new products and business lines. The Problem-solving techniques covered begin with problem definition, beginning with job descriptions and applying the right soft skills to enhance requirements gathering. This ensures you're targeting a good problem to solve, and that you understand the business model. The course then moves on to practices such as "brainstorm and storm drain" to target new creative solutions. You will learn how innovation works on fast feedback cycles to test possible solutions and target root causes of defects. Creative thinking isn't a straight line, and neither should the problem-solving process be a straight line. Each course of action needs early and frequent testing. By following best practices of Agile, including timeboxes, constraint-based thinking processes, and empathetic problem solving, you'll learn how to provide a sustainable innovation environment for your teams.

The first week of Innovation revisits concepts of capability delivery from technical perspective; asking how do we achieve a project’s purpose to innovate? What are the risks and methods to be successful in delivering a defined output under uncertain conditions? Here the Theory of Constraints (TOC) is used to target innovation for maximum impact

What's included

6 videos21 readings6 assignments1 plugin

6 videosTotal 38 minutes

1.0.1 Introduction to Week 10 minutesPreview module
1.1.1 Innovation Challenge Video7 minutes
1.2.1 Searching for Solutions Video9 minutes
1.3.1 Startup Innovation Video7 minutes
1.4.1 Product Innovation Video4 minutes
1.5.1 Process Innovation Video8 minutes

21 readingsTotal 41 minutes

Orientation and Welcome2 minutes
Course Syllabus4 minutes
1.0.0 Goals And Objectives of Week 11 minute
1.1.0 Prep for the Innovation Challenge1 minute
1.1.2 Innovation Challenge Summary Points4 minutes
1.1.4 Innovation Challenge References1 minute
1.2.0 Prep for Searching for Solutions1 minute
1.2.2 Searching for Solutions Summary Points4 minutes
1.2.4 Searching for Solutions References1 minute
1.3.0 Prep for Startup Innovation1 minute
1.3.2 Startup Innovation Summary Points5 minutes
1.3.4 Startup Innovation References1 minute
1.4.0 Prep for Product Innovation1 minute
1.4.2 Product Innovation Summary Points2 minutes
1.4.4 Product Innovation References1 minute
1.5.0 Prep for Process Innovation1 minute
1.5.2 Process Innovation Summary Points5 minutes
1.5.4 Process Innovation References1 minute
Course Slides Available Below!1 minute
Leverage your Learning!1 minute
Is a Master’s in Product Management Right for You?2 minutes

6 assignmentsTotal 24 minutes

1.1.3 Innovation Challenge Knowledge Check2 minutes
1.2.3 Searching for Solutions Knowledge Check2 minutes
1.3.3 Startup Innovation Knowledge Check2 minutes
1.4.3 Product Innovation Knowledge Checks1 minute
1.5.3 Process Innovation Knowledge Checks2 minutes
Week 1 Quiz Problems15 minutes

1 pluginTotal 5 minutes

What are you looking for from this course?5 minutes

The second week dives into the requirements gathering and validation process, and the science behind the most powerful requirement tool, a User Story, and how it forms the basis for Test-Drive Development (TDD). During this week we'll also explore the power of visual-based requirements gathering and prototyping for faster feedback and validation of requirements

What's included

6 videos18 readings6 assignments

6 videosTotal 30 minutes

2.0.1 Week 2 Introduction Video1 minutePreview module
2.1.1 Empathic Case Studies Video5 minutes
2.2.1 Perspective Getting Video4 minutes
2.3.1 Power of Stories Video3 minutes
2.4.1 Writing Great User Stories Video8 minutes
2.5.1 Visual Requirements & TDD Video8 minutes

18 readingsTotal 31 minutes

2.0.0 Goals for Week 21 minute
2.1.0 Empathic Case Study Prep1 minute
2.1.2 Empathic Case Studies Summary Points4 minutes
2.1.4 Empathic Case Studies References1 minute
2.2.1 Perspective Getting Video1 minute
2.2.2 Perspective Getting Summary Points2 minutes
2.2.4 Perspective Getting References1 minute
2.3.0 Prep for Power of Stories1 minute
2.3.2 Power of Stories Summary Points2 minutes
2.3.4 Power of Stories References1 minute
2.4.0 Prep for Writing Great User Stories1 minute
2.4.2 Writing Great User Stories Summary Points5 minutes
2.4.4 Writing Great User Story References1 minute
2.5.0 Prep for Visual Requirements & TDD1 minute
2.5.2 Visual Requirements & TDD Summary Points5 minutes
2.5.4 Visual Requirements & TDD References1 minute
Course Slides Available Below!1 minute
Leverage your Learning!1 minute

6 assignmentsTotal 21 minutes

2.1.3 Empathic Case Studies Knowledge Checks1 minute
2.2.3 Perspective Getting Knowledge Check1 minute
2.3.3 Power of Stories Knowledge Checks1 minute
2.4.3 Writing Great User Stories Knowledge Checks1 minute
2.5.3 Visual Requirements & TDD Knowledge Check2 minutes
Week 2 Quiz Problems15 minutes

The third week looks at how adding constraints to solutioning unleashes creativity, luck, and productivity towards solving hard, uncertain problems.

What's included

6 videos18 readings6 assignments

6 videosTotal 29 minutes

3.0.1 Intro to Week 3 Video1 minutePreview module
3.1.1 Stardust Case Study Video5 minutes
3.2.1 Limiting Innovation Video6 minutes
3.3.1 Small Batch Innovation Video5 minutes
3.4.1 Lucky Constraints Video4 minutes
3.5.1 Agile Portfolio Video7 minutes

18 readingsTotal 29 minutes

3.0.0 Goals and Agenda for Week 31 minute
3.1.0 Prep for Stardust Case Study1 minute
3.1.2 Stardust Case Study Summary Points2 minutes
3.1.4 Stardust Case Study References1 minute
3.2.0 Prep for Limiting Innovation1 minute
3.2.2 Limiting Innovation Summary Points3 minutes
3.2.4 Limiting Innovation References1 minute
3.3.0 Prep for Small Batch Innovation1 minute
3.3.2 Small Batch Innovation Summary Points4 minutes
3.3.4 Small Batch References1 minute
3.4.0 Prep for Luck Constraints1 minute
3.4.2 Lucky Constraints Summary Points2 minutes
3.4.4 Lucky Constraints References1 minute
3.5.0 Prep for Agile Portfolios1 minute
3.5.2 Agile Portfolios Summary Points5 minutes
3.5.4 Agile Portfolio References1 minute
Course Slides Available Below!1 minute
Leverage your Learning!1 minute

6 assignmentsTotal 23 minutes

3.1.3 Stardust Case Study Knowledge Checks2 minutes
3.2.3 Limiting Innovation Knowledge Checks2 minutes
3.3.3 Small Batch Innovation Knowledge Checks1 minute
3.4.3 Lucky Constraints Knowledge Checks1 minute
3.5.3 Agile Portfolio Knowledge Checks2 minutes
Week 3 Quiz Problems15 minutes

The fourth week culminates with the application of the TOC Thinking Processes, User Stories, and Constraints along with the use of the powerful system engineering solutioning techniques (isolation, absorption, acceleration, etc.) and tools like TRIZ

What's included

6 videos18 readings6 assignments

6 videosTotal 42 minutes

4.0.1 Intro to Week 4 Video1 minutePreview module
4.1.1 Navy Energy Case Study Video6 minutes
4.2.1 Managing Uncertainty Video12 minutes
4.3.1 Solving The Impossible Video7 minutes
4.4.1 Apply TRIZ with MBSE Video9 minutes
4.5.1 Leading Innovation with Control Video5 minutes

18 readingsTotal 32 minutes

4.0.0 Goals and Objectives of Week 41 minute
4.1.0 Prep for Navy Energy Case Study1 minute
4.1.2 Navy Energy Case Study Summary Points3 minutes
4.1.4 Navy Energy Case Study References1 minute
4.2.0 Prep for Managing Uncertainty1 minute
4.2.2 Managing Uncertainty Summary Points3 minutes
4.2.4 Managing Uncertainty References1 minute
4.3.0 Prep for Solving The Impossible1 minute
4.3.2 Solving The Impossible Summary Points4 minutes
4.3.4 Solving The Impossible References1 minute
4.4.0 Prep for Apply TRIZ with MBSE1 minute
4.4.2 Apply TRIZ with MBSE Summary Points5 minutes
4.4.4 Apply TRIZ with MBSE References1 minute
4.5.0 Prep for Leading Innovation with Control1 minute
4.5.2 Leading Innovation with Control Summary Points4 minutes
4.5.4 Leading Innovation with Control References1 minute
Course Slides Available Below!1 minute
Leverage your Learning!1 minute

6 assignmentsTotal 25 minutes

4.1.3 Navy Energy Case Study Knowledge Checks2 minutes
4.2.3 Managing Uncertainty Knowledge Check2 minutes
4.3.3 Solving The Impossible Knowledge Check1 minute
4.4.3 Applying TRIZ with MBSE Knowledge Checks2 minutes
4.5.3 Leading Innovation with Controls Knowledge Checks3 minutes
Week 4 Quiz Problems15 minutes

What's included

5 readings2 assignments

Earn a career certificate

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Instructor

John Johnson

University of Maryland, College Park

10 Courses2,277 learners

Offered by

University of Maryland, College Park

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