Software development lifecycle (SDLC) training

Lesson 1 • What Is the SDLC

Defines the SDLC as a structured process for planning, creating, and maintaining software. Anchors all subsequent phases within a unified lifecycle framework.

Lesson 2 • Core Phases Overview

Maps the standard phases from planning through maintenance. Provides a high-level roadmap students will explore in depth throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Stakeholders and Team Roles

Identifies every role involved in a software project and their responsibilities. Clarifies accountability structures that drive phase transitions.

Lesson 1 • Choosing the Right Model

Provides a decision framework for matching SDLC models to project size, risk, and requirements stability. Prepares students for real-world model selection.

Lesson 2 • Iterative and Incremental Models

Covers iterative development cycles that refine software through repeated passes. Shows how incremental delivery reduces risk compared to Waterfall.

Lesson 3 • Agile Frameworks Overview

Introduces Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe as Agile implementations. Connects Agile values to faster delivery and continuous stakeholder collaboration.

Lesson 4 • Waterfall Model Deep Dive

Examines the sequential Waterfall model, its phase gates, and documentation requirements. Highlights strengths in stable-requirement projects.

Lesson 1 • Requirements Documentation and Traceability

Guides creation of a Software Requirements Specification and a traceability matrix. Links each requirement to design, code, and test artifacts.

Lesson 2 • Use Cases and User Stories

Teaches use case diagrams and user story formats as complementary specification tools. Connects narrative requirements to testable acceptance conditions.

Lesson 3 • Requirements Validation and Review

Applies inspection, walkthrough, and prototyping to verify requirement quality. Prevents costly defects from propagating into design and coding phases.

Lesson 4 • Requirements Elicitation Techniques

Covers interviews, workshops, observation, and prototyping as elicitation methods. Builds skills for uncovering both stated and unstated stakeholder needs.

Lesson 1 • UML and Modeling Notations

Uses UML diagrams to communicate design intent clearly across teams. Provides a shared visual language that bridges requirements and implementation.

Lesson 2 • Design Review and Validation

Conducts design walkthroughs and architecture reviews to catch flaws early. Validates that design artifacts fully satisfy documented requirements.

Lesson 3 • Software Architecture Fundamentals

Introduces layered, microservices, and event-driven architectural styles. Connects architecture decisions to scalability, maintainability, and team structure.

Lesson 4 • High-Level and Detailed Design

Distinguishes system-level design from module-level design and their respective artifacts. Ensures design completeness before coding begins.

Lesson 1 • Refactoring and Technical Debt

Identifies code smells and applies refactoring techniques to improve internal quality. Balances debt repayment against feature delivery schedules.

Lesson 2 • Version Control with Git

Covers branching strategies, commit discipline, and merge workflows using Git. Enables parallel development without destabilising the main codebase.

Lesson 3 • Code Review Processes

Defines pull request workflows, review criteria, and constructive feedback norms. Improves code quality and spreads knowledge across the team.

Lesson 4 • Coding Standards and Style Guides

Establishes naming conventions, formatting rules, and documentation norms for consistent codebases. Reduces onboarding time and maintenance costs.

Lesson 1 • Performance and Security Testing

Measures system throughput, latency, and resilience under load, and identifies security vulnerabilities. Ensures non-functional requirements are verified before release.

Lesson 2 • Testing Fundamentals and Strategy

Defines testing objectives, the test pyramid, and risk-based test prioritisation. Aligns the test strategy with project risk and quality goals.

Lesson 3 • System and Acceptance Testing

Validates end-to-end system behaviour and confirms stakeholder acceptance criteria are met. Bridges QA activities and business sign-off.

Lesson 4 • Unit and Integration Testing

Applies unit testing frameworks and integration test patterns to verify component behaviour. Builds a safety net that supports confident refactoring.

Lesson 1 • Incident Management and Post-Mortems

Defines incident response workflows and blameless post-mortem practices. Converts production failures into systemic improvements.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring and Observability

Implements logging, metrics, and distributed tracing to maintain production visibility. Enables rapid detection and diagnosis of production incidents.

Lesson 3 • Deployment Strategies

Compares blue-green, canary, and rolling deployment patterns for risk-controlled releases. Enables teams to deploy frequently with confidence.

Lesson 4 • Release Planning and Management

Defines release scope, schedules, and go/no-go criteria to coordinate safe deployments. Connects release planning to sprint cadences and stakeholder commitments.

Lesson 1 • Risk Management in the SDLC

Identifies, assesses, and mitigates technical and project risks throughout the lifecycle. Prevents risk accumulation from derailing delivery commitments.

Lesson 2 • Retrospectives and Continuous Improvement

Facilitates structured retrospectives to surface process bottlenecks and improvement actions. Embeds a continuous improvement culture into every team cadence.

Lesson 3 • SDLC Metrics and KPIs

Defines lead time, cycle time, defect density, and deployment frequency as key SDLC metrics. Enables data-driven decisions about process health and team performance.

Lesson 4 • SDLC Governance Frameworks

Introduces capability maturity models and process governance structures for organisational oversight. Connects governance to compliance, audit readiness, and risk management.