Kanban for software engineering teaching in a software factory learning environment

The software industry needs university graduates with up-to-date knowledge on software development approaches and the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle the practical issues of real-life software development. Various techniques are used in industry to provide a holistic view of projects and identify obstacles in software development as they occur. Kanban is a new technique that is spreading throughout the software industry. The Department of Information Processing Science at the University of Oulu in Finland built a software factory laboratory in 2012. The aim of the laboratory is to provide students with real-life software engineering experience and enable them to practise new processes and techniques, as well as interact with actual customers from industry. To determine student perceptions about Kanban, the authors conducted a one-and-a-half-year-long study with Master’s degree students in a software development project. Results indicate that using Kanban in students’ project work helps students achieve their goals. This article describes and promotes the use of Kanban in students’ experiential learning projects.