Professional Courses
Industry-relevant training in Business, Technology, and Design to help professionals and graduates upskill for real-world careers.
Categories
Interactive Games
Fun, engaging games to boost memory, math fluency, typing speed, and English skillsβperfect for learners of all ages.
Typing
Memory
Math
English Adventures
Knowledge
Enroll to start learning
Youβve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
What is a User Story?
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Today we're discussing user stories in Agile projects. A user story is a concise description of a feature from the end user's perspective. Does anyone know the standard format of a user story?
Is it something like 'As a user, I want...?'
Exactly! The full format is: As a [type of user], I want [goal], so that [reason/benefit]. It's important because it frames the development work around user needs.
Can you give us an example?
Sure! For instance, 'As a job seeker, I want to upload my resume so that I can apply for jobs quickly.' This clearly illustrates the user's goal.
To summarize, user stories capture user needs and goals effectively, and maintaining their clarity is crucial. Shall we proceed to the next topic?
INVEST Criteria for Good User Stories
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Now let's discuss the INVEST criteria. This helps ensure that our user stories are well-structured. Can anyone tell me what some of these criteria are?
I think itβs about being small and independent?
Yes! INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Each aspect is designed to ensure that the user story is effective and useful. For instance, being independent means a story can stand alone without dependencies.
Why is being testable important?
Great question! A user story must have acceptance criteria to validate its completion, ensuring everyone knows when the story is done. Remember the acronym INVEST to help you remember these points!
In summary, these criteria are essential for quality user stories. Letβs move on to how we define acceptance criteria next.
Acceptance Criteria and Gherkin Language
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Next, weβll cover acceptance criteria, which define the conditions that must be completed for a user story to be accepted. Why do you think these are important?
They help clarify what 'done' means for a story.
Exactly! Clear acceptance criteria help prevent misunderstandings. A good technique for writing these criteria is using the Gherkin language, structured around Given, When, Then. Can anyone try to give me a Gherkin example?
Like, Given a user is on the login page, when they enter their details, then they should be logged in?
Perfect! Gherkin is a readable format that helps communicate tests clearly. This clarity facilitates better collaboration between teams.
To sum up, acceptance criteria are crucial for validating user stories, and using Gherkin enhances clarity in writing these criteria.
Introduction & Overview
Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.
Quick Overview
Standard
In Agile projects, small and concise user stories are essential for effective communication of functional requirements. The INVEST criteria guide the quality of these stories, ensuring they are valuable, independent, and testable. Acceptance criteria define when a user story is considered complete, while tools like Gherkin aid in writing detailed acceptance tests.
Detailed
Detailed Summary
In Agile projects, user stories represent functional requirements expressed from the user's perspective. A user story follows a standard format: As a [type of user], I want [goal], so that [reason/benefit]. An effective user story is vital for ensuring that the development team understands what the business needs.
To ensure high-quality user stories, the INVEST criteria are utilized:
- Independent: The story should stand alone and be deliverable.
- Negotiable: It's a starting point for discussion, not a fixed contract.
- Valuable: The story must provide value to users or customers.
- Estimable: It should be clear enough for accurate effort estimation.
- Small: The story should be manageable within a single sprint.
- Testable: Clear acceptance criteria must validate completion.
Proper Acceptance Criteria specify success conditions for a user story, enhancing clarity and testability. They are often formatted using Gherkin, a language that allows for writing human-readable test scenarios. Key tips for crafting user stories include collaborating with stakeholders for alignment, ensuring testability, and prioritizing based on business value. A well-written user story tells a mini-story with a defined purpose, minimizing confusion.
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Definition of Small User Stories
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
The story should be small enough to complete within a single sprint.
Detailed Explanation
User stories must be of a manageable size so that they can be completed within the duration of a sprint, which is typically 1-4 weeks long. Keeping user stories small helps ensure that developers can deliver features more quickly and reduces the risk of running into problems that can arise from larger stories.
Examples & Analogies
Think of user stories like dishes in a meal. If you want to serve a full course dinner, you wouldnβt try to make all dishes at once (like spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert) or they may not get done in time. Instead, you focus on one dish at a time, ensuring each part is ready when it should be served. This way, you can deliver a satisfying, full meal (the complete product) by cooking each dish (user story) in a timely manner.
Importance of Small User Stories
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Small stories reduce risk and improve feedback cycles.
Detailed Explanation
By keeping user stories small, teams can de-risk the development process since smaller components are easier to implement and test. Feedback can be obtained more quickly because each small story leads to a deliverable product that can be demonstrated to stakeholders. Quick iterations foster strong collaboration and efficient problem-solving.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine you're learning a new language. Instead of trying to learn everything in one go (like vocabulary, grammar, and speaking all at once), you start with simple phrases and common words. Mastering these small parts allows you to build confidence and get immediate feedback when practicing, leading to a more enjoyable learning experience.
Examples of Small User Stories
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
For example, 'As a user, I want to see my order history so that I can track my purchases.'
Detailed Explanation
An effective small user story articulates a specific function or need without encompassing too many features. The specific user role, desired feature, and benefit must be clear. This clarity assists in prioritizing development efforts and ensuring that the development is aligned with user needs.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece represents a small user story. If you focus on fitting a small number of pieces together at a time, you allow the broader picture to emerge systematically. Jumping ahead to the overall image produces confusion, just as trying to tackle many features at once can lead to an unclear or incomplete product.
Definitions & Key Concepts
Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.
Key Concepts
-
User Story: A brief description capturing the user, need, and goal.
-
INVEST: Criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) that guide quality user stories.
-
Acceptance Criteria: Defines when a user story is considered done.
-
Gherkin: A format for writing test cases that improve clarity and communication.
Examples & Real-Life Applications
See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.
Examples
-
User Story: As a teacher, I want to create assignments so that I can assess student understanding.
-
Acceptance Criteria Example: The assignment must include at least three questions, and students should be able to submit their answers by the due date.
Memory Aids
Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.
π΅ Rhymes Time
-
In Agile, user stories are the key, quick to write, clear to see.
π Fascinating Stories
-
Imagine Emily, a user who dreams of quickly applying for jobs. She needs a way to upload her resume. The user story captures her need: 'As a job seeker, I want to upload my resume, so I can find a job fast.'
π§ Other Memory Gems
-
I Never Verify Even Small Testable - Remembering INVEST for User Stories.
π― Super Acronyms
INVEST - I (Independent), N (Negotiable), V (Valuable), E (Estimable), S (Small), T (Testable).
Flash Cards
Review key concepts with flashcards.
Glossary of Terms
Review the Definitions for terms.
-
Term: User Story
Definition:
A brief description of a feature from the perspective of the end user.
-
Term: INVEST
Definition:
An acronym representing criteria for high-quality user stories: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable.
-
Term: Acceptance Criteria
Definition:
Conditions that a user story must meet to be considered done.
-
Term: Gherkin
Definition:
A structured language used for writing acceptance tests in a clear, readable format.