research-article

Evaluation of a game-based lab assignment

Authors:

Tiffany BarnesAuthors Info & Claims

FDG '09: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games

Pages 64 - 70

https://doi.org/10.1145/1536513.1536533

Published: 26 April 2009 Publication History

Abstract

We have developed a learning game to teach loops, nested loops, and arrays using scaffolding and interactive visualization. We compare the game to a traditional programming assignment in an introductory computing laboratory. In our study, 17 Introduction to Computer Science labs were randomly assigned to play the learning game first and half to write a program first. Our results show that students playing the learning game first learn more, and that students prefer the game assignment to the traditional assignment. These results suggest that incorporation of game-based assignments is beneficial to student learning.

References

[1]

ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Curriculum Task Force. Computing Curricula 2001. Accessed Sep. 8, 2007. http://acm.org/education/curric_vols/cc2001.pdf

[2]

Barnes, T., H. Richter, E. Powell, A. Chaffin, A. Godwin. Game2Learn: Building CS1 learning games for retention. ITiCSE 2007, Dundee, Scotland, June 25--27, 2007.

Digital Library

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Bayliss, J. D. and Strout, S. 2006. Games as a "flavor" of CS1. SIGCSE '06. ACM, New York, NY, 500--504.

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Beauboeuf, T & J. Mason. Why the high attrition rate for computer science students: some thoughts and observations. SIGCSE Bull. 37, 2 (Jun. 2005), 103--106.

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Cooper, S., Dann, W., and Pausch, R. 2000. Alice: a 3-D tool for introductory programming concepts. Mahwah, New Jersey. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, 107--116.

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Dale, N. B. Most difficult topics in CS1: results of an online survey of educators. SIGCSE Bull. 38, 2 (2006), 49--53.

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Eagle, M. & T. Barnes. Wu's Castle: Teaching Arrays and Loops in a Game. ITiCSE 2008. Madrid, Spain, July 2008.

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Eagle, M. & T. Barnes. Experimental Evaluation of an Educational Game for Improved Learning in Introductory Computing. To appear in SIGCSE 2009. Knoxville, TN, 2009.

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Cited By

Agalbato FLoiacono D(2018) Robo 3 : A Puzzle Game to Learn Coding 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM)10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515(359-366)Online publication date: Aug-2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515
Kletenik DSalinas FShulman CBergeron CSturm D(2017)A Serious Game to Teach Computing ConceptsHCI International 2017 – Posters' Extended Abstracts10.1007/978-3-319-58753-0_23(146-153)Online publication date: 13-May-2017
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58753-0_23
Hicks DEagle MRowe EAsbell-Clarke JEdwards TBarnes TGašević DLynch GDawson SDrachsler HPenstein Rosé C(2016)Using game analytics to evaluate puzzle design and level progression in a serious gameProceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge10.1145/2883851.2883953(440-448)Online publication date: 25-Apr-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2883851.2883953
Show More Cited By

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Evaluation of a game-based lab assignment

Recommendations

Experimental evaluation of an educational game for improved learning in introductory computing
SIGCSE '09

We are developing games to increase student learning and attitudes in introductory CS courses. Wu's Castle is a game where students program changes in loops and arrays in an interactive, visual way. The game provides immediate feedback and helps ...
Experimental evaluation of an educational game for improved learning in introductory computing
SIGCSE '09: Proceedings of the 40th ACM technical symposium on Computer science education

We are developing games to increase student learning and attitudes in introductory CS courses. Wu's Castle is a game where students program changes in loops and arrays in an interactive, visual way. The game provides immediate feedback and helps ...
Wu's castle: teaching arrays and loops in a game
ITiCSE '08

We are developing games to teach introductory computer science concepts to increase student motivation and engagement in learning to program. Wu's Castle is a two-dimensional role playing game that teaches loops and arrays in an interactive, visual way. ...

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Published In

cover image ACM Other conferences

FDG '09: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games

April 2009

386 pages

ISBN:9781605584379

DOI:10.1145/1536513

Conference Chair:
Jim Whitehead
UC Santa Cruz
,
Program Chair:
R. Michael Young
North Carolina State University

Copyright © 2009 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

Sponsors

SASDG: The Society for the Advancement of the Science of Digital Games

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 26 April 2009

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National Science Foundation

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FDG '09

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SASDG

FDG '09: International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games

April 26 - 30, 2009

Florida, Orlando

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Overall Acceptance Rate 152 of 415 submissions, 37%

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Citations

Cited By

Agalbato FLoiacono D(2018) Robo 3 : A Puzzle Game to Learn Coding 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM)10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515(359-366)Online publication date: Aug-2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515
Kletenik DSalinas FShulman CBergeron CSturm D(2017)A Serious Game to Teach Computing ConceptsHCI International 2017 – Posters' Extended Abstracts10.1007/978-3-319-58753-0_23(146-153)Online publication date: 13-May-2017
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58753-0_23
Hicks DEagle MRowe EAsbell-Clarke JEdwards TBarnes TGašević DLynch GDawson SDrachsler HPenstein Rosé C(2016)Using game analytics to evaluate puzzle design and level progression in a serious gameProceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge10.1145/2883851.2883953(440-448)Online publication date: 25-Apr-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2883851.2883953
Jacovina MTanner Jackson GSnow EMcnamara D(2016)Timing Game-Based Practice in a Reading Comprehension Strategy TutorProceedings of the 13th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems - Volume 968410.1007/978-3-319-39583-8_6(59-68)Online publication date: 7-Jun-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-319-39583-8_6
Gibson BBell TCaspersen MKnobelsdorf MRomeike R(2013)Evaluation of games for teaching computer scienceProceedings of the 8th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education10.1145/2532748.2532751(51-60)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2532748.2532751
Eagle MBarnes TSmith King LMusicant DCamp TTymann P(2012)A learning objective focused methodology for the design and evaluation of game-based tutorsProceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education10.1145/2157136.2157170(99-104)Online publication date: 29-Feb-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2157136.2157170
Eagle MBarnes T(2010)Intelligent tutoring systems, educational data mining, and the design and evaluation of video gamesProceedings of the 10th international conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems - Volume Part II10.1007/978-3-642-13437-1_23(215-217)Online publication date: 14-Jun-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-642-13437-1_23

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