Two (at least) for his heels: teaching computing and stimulating student engagement with the game of cribbage

During computer science programs students learn to analyse, design and build software solutions that potentially support a wide range of applications. This paper explains how a tutor-developed interactive card game was integrated into evolving repositories of material, including student-developed artefacts, aimed at enhancing learning in three selected undergraduate modules. The solution was used to illustrate key computer programming concepts, to explore the capture and use of knowledge to simulate intelligent behaviour in a limited, comprehensible domain and to stimulate systems design projects. The work is presented within the wider context of actively engaging students in individual and team tasks to foster insight and understanding in systems design and development, and to involve them practically in modelling and building systems. The paper provides evidence of student achievement and suggests that there are mutual benefits for teachers and learners in sharing knowledge in this way.