Extreme construction: making agile accessible

In recent years agile software development methodologies have become important. Extreme programming (XP) is perhaps the best known of these. XP involves about a dozen key practices that work synergistically to provide quality software in an environment in which change is likely to occur. Here we present an exercise that we have developed and used successfully to train novices in the techniques. This exercise is novel in that it is accessible to programmers and non-programmers alike. In an industrial setting, this makes it available to managers and customers. In the educational setting, it becomes possible to teach the techniques to novices before they have learned any programming. It is intended for those who require some deep understanding of the synergies of agile methodology. Extreme construction is a game that is both fun and informative. It teaches the fundamentals of any agile methodology while helping build a closely-knit team