The biggest aspect of the course is the lectures. They were split into sections, including ones like:
- The "basic" search
- JQL Basics
- JSM Functions
Each section was (mostly) self-contained and kep the focus on a specific concept or idea. For example, you could skip to the JSM functions section to learn those, or review the "basic" search to dive into that.
For the re-write I've kept the same basic structure, but expanded it. For example, the "Atlassian Intelligence" section has been expanded by a few lectures and renamed "Rovo". There's also an entirely new section around sprint and release functions that wasn't there before.
So far I've focused on just updating existing lectures, but I did sneak in some new ones! This includes:
- Lectures on Rovo, including chat, agents and search. This is one of the biggest differences in Jira in the past 4 (!) years, so including content specific to it was a nobrainer.
- Statements & Clauses - A lecture specific to what these are, and why you should care about them, was added. These are a very important concept in JQL!
- Autocomplete - This is a JQL feature that removes a LOT of guesswork. The first version of the course mentions this, but now a specific lecture digs into it.
- Sprints & Releases - A dedicated section to these functions was added. This was missing from the original and helps folks search, and find, by sprint and/or release.
But wait, there's more!
Before the course is released I'll be adding in a lot of additional content outside the lectures. So far this includes:
- Section Quizzes - Many sections will get a short quiz to test knowledge.
- "Labs" - Guided exercises to help students practice skills - for example using specific functions or forcing errors.
- Guides - Written guides on sections - for example how statements and clauses work - will be included to further improve learning.
The original course was just slides and my voice over. This was done for a few reasons:
- Expediency - It's a LOT quicker to record if I don't have to worry about video. It also makes editing simpler.
- My technical knowledge - The course is almost 4 years old, and my skills have grown quite a bit since then! When I recorded it I was not nearly as confident in my filming skills as I am now.
- My teaching knowledge - This also reflects a growth in my ability to instruct, and my understanding what students need. Some people can learn with voice-only, but by adding in my "talking head" I help make it more engaging and approachable to others.
Next up is creating the additional content, but also sending the course to my reviewers. They'll help me pick out errors, omissions and areas to improve.
I'm hoping to have the course live and published by mid-Feb! Sign up for updates below, and please let me know if you've got specific things you want to learn!
