EXPLORING GAME-BASED LEARNING FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

Dave TuckerEdinboro University of Pennsylvania

What will be covered

Are Serious games useful? Examples

Overview

Serious games used to teach Computer Science topics

New research area Useful tool for teaching abstract topics Can be used for any subject matter, this talk

focuses on uses in Computer Science New rapid development software for 3D sims Research demonstrating success of using

games for education Three examples with Higher Ed in mind

Research

Yes, a valid way to educate Some studies say slight, others up to 63%

gain in knowledge All agree that students prefer the use of

games over traditional methods. There are examples of where students were

motivated to go beyond the game and research more about a topic

Applying knowledge is better than hearing the knowledge

Requires the use of Critical Thinking

Advantages

Experimental Learning – No pressure and unlimited tries

Inquiry-Based Learning – Experiment to learn new things

Self-Efficacy – Tend to keep trying until victory

Goal Setting – Motivation Cooperation – possible if multiplayer game Continuous Feedback – Immediate

response

Examples – Age of Computers

Travel back in time to solve problems

Mostly multiple choice questions

Math & Processor control also

95% of students said its more motivating than traditional exercises

Examples – Virtual Family

Teach java programming Uses family characters You want to make your characters

programmed to react to your other character actions (like a form of programming known as Object Oriented)

Examples – Problems & Programmers

Card based game Software Engineering (design) Player must follow certain

steps collecting cards How well you design depends

on how you play your cards Can get random problems Budget concerns Goal is to finish on as soon as

possible with quality product Students found it easy to learn

and was an effective teaching method

Examples – Algorithm Visualization Binary Search Try to find the

number Player knows that

the numbers are in order

Timed

Examples – Algorithm Visualization Teaching sorting

techniques Move the cards

using a certain sorting method (insertion sort in this example)

See how accurate the player is given a fixed amount of time

Current Project

Simple walk through

Inside a PC Approach a

computer component, it prompts a multiple choice question.

Conclusions

No disadvantage to using serious games to supplement or replace traditional teaching methods

Majority of cases found that students learn more while enjoying the experience.

Further research needed Other topics such as simulations for

networks 1st year programming students high

failure rate

Questions

ReferencesR.V. Eck, “Digital Game-Based Learning: It's Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless ” EDUCAUSE, vol. 41, no. 2, 2006, pp. 16-18. J. Gee, “What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy,” computers in entertainment CIE, vol. 1, no. 1, 2003, pp. 20. A. Clark, Natural-Born Cyborgs: Why Minds and Technologies Are Made to Merge, Oxford University Press, 2003. M.J. Mayo, “GAMES FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION,” Communications of the ACM, vol. 50, no. 7, 2007, pp. 30-35. K. Squire, et al., “Electromagnetism supercharged!: Learning physics with digital simulation games,” Proc. 6th International Conference on Learning Sciences, ACM Press, 2004. P. Mcclean, et al., “Virtual worlds in large enrollment science classes significantly improve authentic learning ” Proc. 12th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, Center for the Advancement of Teching and Learning, 2001, pp. 111-118. L. Natvig and S. Line, “Age of computers: game-based teaching of computer fundamentals,” Book Age of computers: game-based teaching of computer fundamentals, Series Age of computers: game-based teaching of computer fundamentals, ed., Editor ed.^eds., ACM, 2004, pp. W. Duplantis, et al., “'Virtual Family': An Approach to Introducing Java Programming,” ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, vol. 34, no. 2, 2002, pp. 40-43. A. Baker, et al., “An experimental card game for teaching software engineering processes,” Journal of System and Software, vol. 75, no. 1-2, 2005, pp. 3-16. S. Shabanah and J.X. Chen, “Simplifying algorithm learning using serious games,” Book Simplifying algorithm learning using serious games, Series Simplifying algorithm learning using serious games, ed., Editor ed.^eds., ACM, 2009, pp.