Wind Riders of the Lost River Range: A Modular Project-Based Case for Software Development

Abstract

The Wind Riders of the Lost River Range (WRLRR) is a modular project-based simulated case study. This case study is designed to accompany a hands-on collaborative semester project for a variety of software development courses. The case can be used in courses like Systems Analysis and Design, Database Design, Software Engineering, and Software Development. The case provides a detailed account of a situation that closely simulates a real-world problem. This challenging experiential learning opportunity reinforces course concepts through their application in a realistic scenario. WRLRR has been developed using the modular design of teaching cases approach. This approach makes it possible to swap modules in and out of the case. This reduces instructor workload by making it unnecessary to develop a new case from scratch for each course iteration. It also discourages students from recycling solutions from previous courses because the case scenario has been altered. Adding or removing modules makes it possible to sufficiently vary the case study to refine the problem being addressed. Macros are provided to automate, and thereby facilitate, the insertion of modules.