• FutureLearn logo

Software Development Fundamentals: Project Management

An introduction to project management and its role within software development.

Start your free 7-day trial

417 enrolled on this course

Man and woman looking at a computer screen.
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Included in an ExpertTrack

    Course 1 of 3
  • Get full ExpertTrack access

    $39/monthFind out more

This software development course is designed to give you a foundation in the key concepts in development, to help you succeed in digital technology roles.

You’ll be prepared to enter a career in tech or development with a strong skillset and an understanding of what the job will entail.

Get to grips with the basics of software development

You’ll be introduced to the high level concepts and terms that are involved in software development, including a range of software development terms and the key features of the planning process. You’ll analyse the necessary processes and outputs that provide meaningful requirements.

Explore Agile approaches and frameworks

Project management is a huge part of the software development process, and of any digital technology career. It can be defined as the process of applying processes and principles to plan and manage how initiatives are introduced and implemented within any organisation.

You’ll learn how to define the software development process, compare Agile and Waterfall approaches and become more familiar with common Agile frameworks. A strong understanding of Agile and its benefits will prepare you for work in the majority of tech companies, which often rely on Agile and scrums to make ongoing improvements to their product.

Grow your knowledge of personas and user stories

You’ll also explore how to improve user experience (UX), by exploring the requirements gathering and planning processes, including the use of personas and user stories.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a good understanding of two popular project management approaches, and common approaches to improving user experience.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to software development fundamentals

    • Introduction to the course

      In this activity we’ll introduce you to the course and look at how the course is structured. You’ll also be introduced to the optional project.

    • What is software development?

      In this activity you will learn what software development is and what tools and methodologies are used.

    • Weekly Wrap-up

      To complete the week, let’s recap the key points covered so far.

  • Week 2

    Project management and Agile in software development

    • Introduction

      Introduction to the week's topics and outcomes

    • Managing software development projects

      Here you’ll explore some of the common challenges facing software development, why ‘failing fast’ is critical, and why the Agile method has emerged as the preferred approach.

    • Agile in action

      In order to help teams be more Agile, a number of popular frameworks and tools have sprung up over the years. Let’s look at Scrum and Kanban, two popular Agile approaches, as well as other tools to manage development projects.

    • Wrap-up

      To complete the week, let’s recap the key points covered so far.

  • Week 3

    Designing software solutions

    • Introduction

      Introduction to the week's topics and outcomes.

    • Scope and Customer Requirements Definition

      In this activity you’ll learn about scoping a project and engaging customers to define the requirements.

    • Weekly Wrap-up

      To complete the week, let’s recap the key points covered so far.

  • Week 4

    Requirements and planning

    • Introduction

      Introduction to the week's topics and outcomes

    • Backlog, User Stories, Personas

      In this activity you’ll learn about personas and stories: two tools for helping teams focus on the intended user. Identifying your users and forming a clear picture of what the solution needs to look like for these users lays the

    • Development team and sprint planning

      In this activity you’ll gain an overview of software development teams, how sprint planning works, as well as how software development teams can tackle the challenge of providing work estimates.

    • Course Wrap-up

      To complete the week, let’s recap the key points and then you'll attempt the final test which counts towards your grade.

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

Download a PDF

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Define the software development process
  • Compare Agile vs Waterfall approaches to project management
  • Describe common Agile frameworks
  • Investigate the requirements gathering and planning processes, including the use of personas and user stories

Who is the course for?

This ExpertTrack will grow your confidence in working with development teams and understand the challenges they face. It’s suitable for:

  • Someone aiming to enter the digital sector
  • Anyone looking to change careers into an entry-level role as a developer, or to establish foundations for a development career
  • Established technology professionals looking to better understand software development and round out their skill set
  • An entrepreneur with a business or product idea that needs some basic understanding of software development to assess the viability of their idea

Who will you learn with?

Lewin delivers high quality, scalable software that behaves predictably and fails gracefully. He understands how to make effective tradeoffs between new features, system complexity and technical debt.

Who developed the course?

FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a leading social learning platform and has been providing high quality online courses for learners around the world over the last ten years.

In collaboration with

MuleSoft logo

Endorsers and supporters

endorsed by

Coventry University logo

About this ExpertTrack

Develop the foundations of a digital technology career, from Agile project management to HTML basics.

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

  • Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
  • Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
  • Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
  • Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
  • Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
  • Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
  • Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...