Checkpoints
Milestones are used to control a professional project. A milestone defines concrete targets, very typically a certain quantity of artifacts, that must be reached at a fixed date. In EASE no milestones are possible, because students dynamically influence the actual system features.
In EASE so called checkpoints are a lightweight alternative to milestones. Checkpoints take place at fixed dates that are announced at the beginning of the course. At a checkpoint the lecturer inspects the artifacts. Furthermore, the students together with the lecturer collectively analyze the project data in order to check if the EASE principles has been followed by the team. Consequentially the project is not finished at a certain last milestone, it is finished if each student has contributed the initially fixed total number of hours. The concept of checkpoints is about maximizing learning outcome by minimizing stress. Students learn how to enforce plans.