A Review of Games Designed to Improve Computer Programming Competencies
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This document summarizes a review of games designed to improve introductory computer programming competencies. It identifies 40 games from literature and the web published after 2000. The games are classified by type (LOGO-like, adventure, general puzzles), competencies supported (comprehension, writing, debugging), topics covered, programming languages used, and platform. Results show that LOGO-like games best develop algorithmic reasoning through writing problems, while adventure games support debugging. Features missing from current games that could better support learning are support for multiple languages, adapting block/text-based coding, and providing in-game rather than post-mission feedback.
A Review of Games Designed to Improve Computer Programming Competencies
- 1. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 1 Adilson Vahldick António José Mendes Maria José Marcelino Centre of Informatics and Systems University of Coimbra 2014 Frontiers in Education Conference
- 2. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 2 Agenda
- 3. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 3 Agenda
- 4. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Failure and dropout rates in introductory computer programming courses •Engagement on extra classroom activities •Students have a lack of motivation •Games … •are fun and entertain •don’t require special training or take a course to learn to play •Games in education •missions are characterized as learning tasks •feedback by missions 24/10/2014 4 Motivation(1 of2)
- 5. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Two approaches in universities: •Programming small games •Playing games •In this paper, we … •Identify digital games available to support introductory computer programming •Classify them according to the learning activities they support •We want to •Help teachers to decide or select games •Find new development opportunities 24/10/2014 5 Motivation(2 of2)
- 6. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 6 Agenda
- 7. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.How many and which are the games available to assist introductory programming learning published in literature or on the web after 2000? 2.Which are the abilities and topics covered by these games? 3.What features are missing to better support introductory programming learning? 24/10/2014 7 Research Questions
- 8. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Techniques application of systematic literature review •Searched and scanned the papers describing games used, proposed or developed to support introductory programming learning •Searched “game” and “programming” in AppStore, Google Play, Flash Games, on the web, list of games available in GamaSutra •Read the paper or web page, and played the game when was available •Classified the games according to their kind, activities, tasks and subjects covered 24/10/2014 8 Research Methodology (1 of 2)
- 9. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Which kind of solution did we notconsider in this work ? •Puzzles that improve reasoning, but not related to introductory programming knowledge •Environments to develop animation or games, as Scratch and Alice •Games that require teachers to manually evaluate solutions or answers 24/10/2014 9 Research Methodology(2 of 2)
- 10. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 10 Agenda
- 11. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •LOGO-Like 24/10/2014 11 Types of Games (1 of 3) Program your robot code.org
- 12. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Adventure Games 24/10/2014 12 Types of Games (2 of 3) Code Combat Code Spells
- 13. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •General Puzzles 24/10/2014 13 Types of Games (3 of 3) Entrandopelocano(Entering the pipe) Machinist-Fabrique
- 14. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 14 List of games
- 15. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 15 Results (1 of 6) 19 Games 8 Games 13 Games Classification by type
- 16. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 16 Results (2 of 6) Classification by competency Comprehension: Match, fill-blank, choice one instruction to complete code. Writing: Code or drag&dropblocks to write a program. Debugging: Track and assess changes in variable values, fix lines to make the program work, change parameters of conditional or repetition structures. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Comprehension Writing Debugging LOGO-Like Adventure General
- 17. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 17 Results (3 of 6) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Strings Expressions Simple I/O Arrays Variables Recursion Conditional and iteractive Classification by subject
- 18. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 18 Results (4 of 6) Classification by platform 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Win Web iOS Android Linux Java ?
- 19. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 19 Results (5 of 6) Classification by programming language 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Visualblocks Textualblocks Java Proprietary C++ C C# JavaScript Ruby Ocaml Ada Compalgo Configuredby teacher
- 20. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 24/10/2014 20 Results (6 of 6) Classification by availability 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 LOGO-Like Adventure General Papers Web Both
- 21. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 21 Agenda
- 22. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Availability: First practical consideration of the teacher •Teachers prefer to select a game that supports the same programming language adopted in the course •One uses an external tool responsible to compile and execute the program •One allows selection among 6 programming languages 24/10/2014 22 Discussion (1 of 2)
- 23. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies •Resources according the competencies: •Comprehension competency can be applied as learning reinforcement or concepts visualization •Debugging have essentially bug fix and change parameters tasks •Writing games are focused on problems solving tasks from scratch •The competency of debugging is also naturally practiced because the games expose the state of the variables through animation of character’s action 24/10/2014 23 Discussion (2 of 2)
- 24. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.Motivation 2.Research questions and methodology 3.Results 4.Discussion 5.Conclusions 24/10/2014 24 Agenda
- 25. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 1.How many and which are the games available to assist introductory programming learning published in literature or on the web after 2000? 24/10/2014 25 Conclusions (1 of 3) 0 5 10 15 20 LOGO-Like Adventure General Papers Web Both 0 10 20 30 40 Comprehension Writing Debugging LOGO-Like Adventure General
- 26. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 2. Which are the abilities and topics covered by these games? •Classification by competency (comprehension, writing and debugging) •Classification by the topics covered (conditional and iterative, recursion, …) •In general terms, LOGO-like type is more adequate to algorithmic reasoning development (writing competency) because they promotes intensive problem solving practice •All the adventure games in writing competency classification use code to write programs •All debugging competency are adventure games 24/10/2014 26 Conclusions (2 of 3)
- 27. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies 3. What features are missing to better support introductory programming learning? (Ideas to develop a game) •Only two games allowing more than one programming language •No games adapts how the program is written from blocks to code, in other words, from novice to expert students •No games support learning during the gameplay experience. They only give feedback after the mission ends •Half of the games aren’t available to use 24/10/2014 27 Conclusions (3 of 3)
- 28. A Review of Games Designed to Improve Introductory Computer Programming Competencies Adilson Vahldick adilson.vahldick@udesc.br 24/10/2014 28 Thank You !!! Questions ?