Sprint to Success

Mairi Fraser and Bruce Darby recently led a seminar reflecting on why and how the first EdWeb codesprint was organised.

Earlier this year the Development Services and University Website Program teams held a code sprint to encourage developers from across the University to work on enhancing EdWeb. EdWeb is the University's new content management system on which its central website and a large part of the University's core sites are hosted. Its popularity with business areas across the University is in large part due to the high degree of flexibility in EdWeb central, and the local customisations supported by the EdWeb Distribution.

Code Sprint?

Like a hackathon, it's an event where developers devote a fixed amount of time to particular tasks. The event helped to kick start that vital feedback loop from the University's development community that can often be difficult to establish.

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In addition to the code sprint itself, other arenas for communication and collaboration have been set up such as a Slack channel. Mairi Fraser from Development Services stressed the importance of monitoring and engaging with questions on Slack to keep users engaged in the process. There is also a wiki space with information for anyone interested in setting up their own local environment for colleagues to collaboratively work on code.

Why?

Bruce Darby from UWP outlined the business case for having the code sprint. The momentum it generates encourages schools, colleges, and support units to prioritise development. It also allows these stakeholders to share costs and maximise efficiency in areas of common interest.

What next?

The next EdWeb code sprint is on November 14. More details of the event can be found on the following wiki page: http://edin.ac/2erTyQE.

Catch up

Presentation Slides from the seminar can be accessed via this link: http://edin.ac/2fDLyds.