Work In Progress: Use of Interdisciplinary Teams in Game Development Classes

The development of computer games is labor-intensive. Modern game development requires the effort of a team of skilled professionals to integrate multimedia content with complex software. Producing high-quality software game products requires large teams to rely on high levels of communication, organization, and planning to avoid costly delays and failures. The author created a two-semester sequence of courses focusing on the application of software engineering principles in the design and implementation of computer games. ABET accreditation guidelines require students to participate on interdisciplinary teams to solve engineering problems. Students in the author's advanced game design course work with game animation art students from a neighboring art college. This paper summarizes the content of this course and the author's experience in teaching this course during its first offering using interdisciplinary teams. Student evaluations of this interdisciplinary team course offering indicate high levels of satisfaction