Investigating the Impact of Agile Scrum Processes on Student Engineers’ 21st Century (4Cs) Skills

In the contemporary business environment, novice engineers are required to possess a broad range of competencies extending beyond traditional academic knowledge. Soft skills, including collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity (collectively referred to as the 4Cs), are particularly crucial. Conventional pedagogical approaches in engineering education have been deemed insufficient to meet the evolving demands of the industry. As a result, student engineers often lack proficiency in these soft skills, leading to concerns about their future career prospects. In response to these challenges, Agile methodologies, specifically Scrum, have emerged as innovative educational frameworks offering potential solutions. This study aims to investigate the impact of Agile Scrum processes on the development of soft skills among student engineers, with a focus on the 4Cs. To achieve this objective, a pre-post su0rvey method was employed. Students were assessed on their skills at two distinct times, one before and one after their enrollment in an e-course, developed according to the Agile Scrum principles and delivered via Moodle to a cohort of 26 student engineers. An analysis of survey data demonstrates a positive correlation between Agile Scrum processes and the enhancement of soft skills among student engineers, providing empirical support for engineering education.