filename     : Sum08.pdf
entry        : article
conference   : GDCSE 2008: Third International Conference on Game Development in Computer Science Education
pages        : 46-50
year         : 2008
month        : March
title        : The ETH Game Programming Laboratory: A Capstone for Computer Science and Visual Computing
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author       : Robert W. Sumner, Nils Thuerey, Markus Gross
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language     : english
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abstract     : The Visual Computing bachelors/masters program at ETH
Zurich provides an internationally renowned degree in computer
science with a specialization track in computer graphics.
A new project-based game development course serves as
a capstone to the program by reinforcing core computer science
concepts and specialized topics in Visual Computing.
Additionally, students learn design principles and obtain a
better understanding of the interplay between the desires
of game design and the realities of technical implementation.
Finally, students practice crucial "soft skills" such as
team work, effective communication, time management, and
leadership. This article details the course goals and structure,
presents three case studies of student-made games and
the effect of the class on the students, and evaluates the
overall class design. We hope that this document presents a
compelling argument in favor of game development as a capstone
to computer science and also provides useful insights
for other academics wishing to incorporate game development
into the computer science curriculum.