Developing a computer strategy game in an undergraduate course in software development using extreme programming

It is often lamented that computer science graduates lack the skills needed to work on large, real-world projects. This paper describes an undergraduate course in software development recently offered at Lewis & Clark College. The bulk of this course involved the entire group of students working together to develop a computer strategy game. This topic proved enticing to the students and allowed them to experience the development of a significant piece of software. The paper presents the plan for the course as well as evaluation by the instructor, students, and customer.