140Academics Beginning in 2003, Harding University’s Computer Science Department’s annual capstone project prompted students to create a functional A.I. that was capable of making logical decisions in a current game. The 2023-24 project was based around Quixo, a five-by-five grid-based strategy game. The goal of the game was similar to Tic Tac Toe, with players trying to complete a row of five of their pieces forming a line. The twist was in the fact that players could only move pieces by picking one and using it to slide all of the other game pieces on the row. The type of game that was picked each year fell under the category of abstract strategy. The players made informed decisions based on their knowledge of the game and its current state. “Everything you see, that’s perfect information,” associate professor of computer science Dr. Scott Ragsdale said. “There’s no chance, there’s no rolling dice.” To get a better understanding of Quixo, the senior teams played physical versions. This allowed them a better understanding of what moves were logical, and they used this knowledge to program the game as well as the A.I. “This feels more like what I would do as an actual job,” senior Kyle Shanachilubwa said. Shanachilubwa worked on implementing the core of the game, which allowed it to function. The project required collaboration and communication. There was a technical test that gave a score to various areas of the project that was essential to the success of the project. The A.I. was heavily tested and went through rigorous training in order to function as intended. “The easiest way to train it is to play it yourself and make sure all the moves are valid and sensible moves," senior John Aldrich said. "Then you can set it up to play itself.” The objective of the game was to make the A.I. tie itself. The future of A.I. expanded every year, and Harding’s Computer Science Department learned a great deal about it in the past and planned to continue as it looked toward the future. Written by Noah Bankhead Strategic Mastery | Senior John Aldridge demonstrates his expertise in Quixo during Harding’s capstone project. Aldridge's gameplay precision directly impacted the A.I’.s logic, refining its decision making abilities. Photo by Jenna Gaessler Curriculum expands with fall installation of computer terminal | Expanding its curriculum, the Academy added courses in office practice and computer programming. The compact courses on programming in ‘BASIC computer language, integrated into physics and upper-level math classes, began after a cathode ray tube terminal was connected with the college’s central digital computer. With just under half possessing masters degrees in their fields , the Academy boasted a faculty highly qualified to teach. Instructors in speech, business, and the sciences trained students for competition in forensics at Harding College and in typing, math, physics, and chemistry at Arkansas State University. Reprinted from Petit Jean 1975-1976 GAME-CHANGING The Computer Science Department’s annual capstone project bases around Quixo. Creativity
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