Digital Gaming as a Vehicle for Digital Gaming as a Vehicle for LearningLearning

A Game-Immersed CS1A Game-Immersed CS1

Department of Computer ScienceDepartment of Computer ScienceUniversity of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, WIEau Claire, WI

Department of Computer ScienceDepartment of Computer ScienceUniversity of North Carolina - CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina - Charlotte

Charlotte, NCCharlotte, NC

Michael Wick Tiffany Barnes

GoalGoalThe primary goal of this project is to establish preliminary The primary goal of this project is to establish preliminary

evidence that teaching introductory programming using a evidence that teaching introductory programming using a multiplayer online game that is designed to appeal to a broad multiplayer online game that is designed to appeal to a broad audience will improve student audience will improve student engagementengagement, , satisfactionsatisfaction, and , and skill transferskill transfer, , particularly for womenparticularly for women. .

Specifically, we seek to develop a Specifically, we seek to develop a gender-neutral online gender-neutral online multiplayer gamemultiplayer game in which to immerse previously successful in which to immerse previously successful introductory programming pedagogical materials.introductory programming pedagogical materials.

Motivating StatisticsMotivating Statistics Bureau of Labor StatisticsBureau of Labor Statistics

IT jobs growing, students enrolling shrinkingIT jobs growing, students enrolling shrinking

American Association of University Women Education American Association of University Women Education FoundationFoundation If women participated at same rate as men, shortage could be If women participated at same rate as men, shortage could be

avertedaverted Women often leave computer science due to intimidating and Women often leave computer science due to intimidating and

isolating environmentisolating environment

Research on GamingResearch on Gaming 40% of all gamers are women [Henry Jenkins III]40% of all gamers are women [Henry Jenkins III] 50.4% of online gamers [Lisa Guernsey]50.4% of online gamers [Lisa Guernsey]

Sketchy Overview of Gaming in CSSketchy Overview of Gaming in CS Games as Programming AssignmentsGames as Programming Assignments

Introductory CSIntroductory CS Senior CapstoneSenior Capstone Software EngineeringSoftware Engineering

Game Design and DevelopmentGame Design and Development MajorsMajors MinorsMinors CertificatesCertificates

Visual Programming/Virtual WorldsVisual Programming/Virtual Worlds Introductory CSIntroductory CS Introduction to ComputingIntroduction to Computing

Assumption: People whoenjoy playing games alsoenjoy writing games.

Our ApproachOur Approach ThesisThesis

A collaborative multiplayer role-playing game can A collaborative multiplayer role-playing game can create an environment in CS that is inviting, safe, and create an environment in CS that is inviting, safe, and socially stimulating particularly for women. Further, socially stimulating particularly for women. Further, this environment can be used to effectively teach this environment can be used to effectively teach introductory programming skills that directly transfer introductory programming skills that directly transfer to subsequent courses.to subsequent courses.

SynopsisSynopsis Teach our students the things we need to teach them Teach our students the things we need to teach them

but within a context that is safe, concrete, and but within a context that is safe, concrete, and familiar.familiar.

SpecificsSpecifics Game-immersedGame-immersed

Lectures Lectures AssignmentsAssignments

Students play a collaborative multiplayer online game that requires Students play a collaborative multiplayer online game that requires programming to meet its challengesprogramming to meet its challenges

Game Design Principles for a Diverse AudienceGame Design Principles for a Diverse Audience Use avatars to Use avatars to allow individuality and anonymityallow individuality and anonymity Both Both cooperative and individualcooperative and individual task task Avoid gratuitous violenceAvoid gratuitous violence and first-person shooting and first-person shooting Allow for Allow for experimentation and explorationexperimentation and exploration Require Require social interaction and team buildingsocial interaction and team building Theme should include travel in the Theme should include travel in the service of othersservice of others Flexible rolesFlexible roles (work as leader or collaborator) (work as leader or collaborator) Success should mean a Success should mean a positive resolutionpositive resolution (justice restored) (justice restored)

SpecificsSpecifics Adventures of Robyn HoodAdventures of Robyn Hood

Students are 2D avatarsStudents are 2D avatars Communicate via chatCommunicate via chat Placed into “bands” and dropped into middle agesPlaced into “bands” and dropped into middle ages

Mission Artwork RecoveryMission Artwork Recovery Characters introduced to Characters introduced to town folktown folk who solicit their help who solicit their help Tyrant has Tyrant has stolen art workstolen art work and valuables and valuables Characters must Characters must move undetected through mansionmove undetected through mansion collecting collecting

stolen art work and return it to secret campsite.stolen art work and return it to secret campsite. Sympathetic employee who works in the mansion has Sympathetic employee who works in the mansion has embeddedembedded

into mansion paintings (using stenography techniques) into mansion paintings (using stenography techniques) cluesclues as to as to the location of stolen artworkthe location of stolen artwork

Each student given challenge of Each student given challenge of programmingprogramming avatar with ability avatar with ability to extract hidden messagesto extract hidden messages to aid in game. to aid in game.

Students can meet in secret campsite to Students can meet in secret campsite to cooperatively strategizecooperatively strategize movement through mansionmovement through mansion