SoftEd Voice
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Welcome to SoftEd Voice.

We’re always looking for news and stories about the world of software development. Each month we’ll pick some of the best articles and videos to share with you.

Software Education offer over 50 different courses in software development training.

Course schedule

SoftEd MasterClass:
Suzanne and James Robertson return to Australia later this year to teach their Mastering the Requirements Process MasterClass and Mastering the Requirements Process - Part 2 follow up course.                                 

Interested in Agile:
Agile Initiate Phase Start Me Up takes you through the process and the deliverables involved in the initiation phase of an Agile project. You will take a case study through each of the initiation steps looking at the deliverables from each step and the techniques used to produce them.

Tester:
Scripting and SQL for Testers This course empowers testers to use the full potential of their test automation tools using VB scripting, maintain their own test data using SQL and covers those non-functional requirements utilising SQL and scripting skills. It incorporates the Introduction to SQL course and there are no prerequisites, it's open to anyone.

Managers:
Agile Project Management provides two days of experience in managing and controlling Agile Software Development projects, looking at the underlying philosophy and motivation for this trend in software development. It also examines the core practices and techniques of a number of Agile Methods, and their impact on project management activities.

System Design:
Advanced Data Modelling is run by our trainer Sean Boylan (profile below). It teaches experienced data modellers to design a corporate architecture with the right balance between the business desire for flexibility/extensibility and need for control. This is not just about designing a system that works today, but will also work tomorrow.

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masterclass:

10 Iconic Steve Jobs Moments

In August Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple (see his resignation letter here). During his time at Apple he has had a massive impact not only on that business, but on I.T. technology, innovation and design. As his successor, Tim Cook, settles into his role we look back at 10 key moments in Jobs' career. Watching the 2001 WWDC Keynote introducing the first iPod really makes you realise how far we have come...
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Write Reliable Selenium Tests

The Sauce Labs blog is a great source of information for Selenium based software and services, which you would expect from something cofounded by the original creator of Selenium.

With great testing articles, like The Surprising Worst Browser (is your favourite on the list?), there is heaps of useful content, but we were particularly impressed with the video of this webinar, part of the 'Test Like a Ninja Webinar Series'. Follow the link for tips to help you write reliable Selenium tests.
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When is 'done' really done?

One of the benefits of working for a training company is that you meet lots of people from lots of different organisations, but after a while you may notice that quite a lot of them are facing the same problem. The current concern for a lot of Agile teams is how to know when they are 'done' on a project.

In this article, written by Shane Hastie for the SoftEd blog, there is an example of a checklist you could write to help define 'done'. It's good to get these written down when you start a project, it helps keep you on track and stick to the Agile principle: deliver working software.
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Am I Creating Value With My Testing?

This month we are featuring a video from STANZ 2011. One of our international experts, Jonathan Kohl, kicked off this year's event with a great keynote on the importance of being valuable to your organisation. There will be more STANZ videos up on the SoftEd blog over the next few months.

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The Single Most Powerful Productivity Trick

There have been so many articles and books written on productivity that reading all of them would be, well, frankly, unproductive. If you look closely at the advice offered though, they all stem around one basic idea, summed up quickly and simply in this great blog post.

With loads of new content appearing online every day, you might not have time to read it all, but as long as you control your time, rather than your tasks controlling you, you'll be on the right track!
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PROFILE: Sean Boylan

Sean Boylan delivers Analysis and Design courses, such as our Advanced Data Modelling course. He has been in IT for over 40 years, starting as a machine code/assembler programmer progressing into systems analysis, data modelling, team leadership and project management.

Early on in his career Sean was the Application Systems Development Manager for Legal & General in Sydney, Australia and had a team of over sixty analysts and programmers.

Sean then joined an Australian company to run courses in Structured Analysis & Design. A common theme was ‘how to help programmers think in business terms, rather than just in code’. Later he developed further courseware in Data Modelling, Business Process Modelling, Object-Oriented Analysis & Design, in OO Testing and in Enterprise Architecture.

During his time as a trainer, Sean has ‘practised what he preaches’ by providing consultancy services to clients, particularly in the area of data/enterprise architecture. Clients have included many Government Departments and commercial organisations in Australia and the UK including British Airways, United Biscuits and South West Electricity Board.

 

Shane Hastie joins the Agile Alliance Board

The Agile Alliance is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the advancement of Agile software development principles and practices. At the recent Agile2011 conference there was a board election which resulted in three new board members, Rebecca Parsons from ThoughtWorks , Ola Ellnestam from Agical and Shane Hastie from Software Education. Shane is the first member to be elected to the Board from Australasia, bringing the perspective from 'down under' to the global progression of Agile.

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