References
Use these to go deeper after the workshop. We link the closest official source for each topic first, then flag anything optional as further reading.
Core concepts & tools
| Topic | Official source |
|---|---|
| MCP (Model Context Protocol) | modelcontextprotocol.io |
| Microsoft Agent Framework | Microsoft Learn · GitHub repo |
| Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Foundry) | Microsoft Learn, Azure AI Foundry |
| Azure | Azure documentation |
| GitHub Actions (CI/CD) | GitHub Actions docs |
| Python | docs.python.org |
| Spec Kit (Spec-Driven Development toolkit — Part 4) | github.com/github/spec-kit · Docs · CLI reference |
| uv (Python package manager — required for Specify CLI) | docs.astral.sh/uv |
Optional further reading
These are helpful but not required for the workshop.
- Further reading, Microsoft "AI Agents for Beginners" course: github.com/microsoft/ai-agents-for-beginners. A friendly, lesson-based scaffold for the concepts we cover; always verify details against the primary sources above.
- Further reading, RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) background, for the context engineering hour: start from the Azure AI Foundry documentation on retrieval.
- Research, "Lost in the Middle: How Language Models Use Long Contexts", Liu, Lin, Hewitt et al. (TACL, 2023). Empirical evidence that models perform worst when relevant information is buried in the middle of a long context; directly underpins the relevance over volume principle from Part 2. arxiv.org/abs/2307.03172
How to use these
When two sources disagree, trust the official source in the tables above over any tutorial or course. The concepts move fast, primary docs are the most current.
Take it further, certifications
If you want formal recognition of the skills practised in this workshop, these GitHub certifications are the closest match:
| Certification | What it validates | Prep course | Exam page |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot (GH-300) | Using GitHub Copilot effectively across programming languages and development workflows | GH-300T00 on Microsoft Learn | learn.github.com/certification/COPILOT |
| GitHub Agentic AI Developer (GH-600, beta) | Operating, supervising, and governing autonomous AI agents in GitHub-driven workflows | GH-600T00 on Microsoft Learn | learn.github.com/certification/AGENTIC |
Both are intermediate-level exams delivered via Pearson VUE, valid for 24 months.
Stay in touch
As trainers and coaches we love sharing knowledge and helping people find their way in their quest into complex technical topics. We also understand (and hope) this quest does not stop at the end of the workshop. Feel free to reach out in the future is any questions arise:
| Trainer | ||
|---|---|---|
| Roelant Dieben | roelant.dieben@soprasteria.com | linkedin.com/in/roelantdieben |
| Stuart van der Lee | stuart.vanderlee@soprasteria.com | linkedin.com/in/stuartvdlee |