more than just a game: improving students' experience of learning programming through...
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More than just a game: Improving students' experience of learning programming through gamification
Paul Neve David LivingstoneGordon Hunter Nalini EdwardsGraham Alsop
Learning TechnologyResearch Group
"Computer science is more than programming, but programming is an absolutely central process for Computer Science"
The Computing At Schools Group, 2012
21%the amount of students able to program at the end of the first year of their degree course in computing
-McCracken et al, 2001
71%the failure rate in computing subjects at one American university where computing was "the second-largest major"
-Bennesden and Caspersen, 2007
boring, difficult and irrelevantterms used by students to describe programming
-Jenkins, 2002-Anderson et al, 2008
Technology Enhanced Learning is not a magic bullet
Gamification "the use of (computer) game elements
in non-game contexts"-Deterding et al, 2011
"Finish a level" rather than "complete a workshop"
"Win a medal" or "Unlock an achievement" rather than "get a mark"
"Level up" rather than "move onto the next workshop activity"
CodeAcademyWell known, very trendy current and gamification is inherent… but it’s the M’est and O’est MOOC possible!
Gamification in programming pedagogy and TEL - examples
RoboProfJava activities divided into “levels” – inspired by classic text-based adventures -Daly and Horgan 2004
Microworldse.g. Scratch - these share conceptual aspects with certain genres of games in that one must navigate an in-game avatar around a virtual world
“Manual” gamification Thamvichai and Supnakorn-Davila (2012) designed their course and activities to include concepts such as “losing a life” and “leveling up”
NoobLab – the story so far
This is NoobLab (think CodeAcademy on steroids!)
NoobLab – the story so far
Intelligent feedback:
feedback in English like a human tutor, contextually
aware, and doesn't take the form of an
inscrutable error message
NoobLab – the story so farMonitoring student progress
and informing pedagogy
Students' routes through learning material can be
correlated with other metrics
Common patterns can inform pedagogy, provide
advanced warning of at-risk students, and be used as
feedback triggers
Gamifiying NoobLab A Microworld for
Thinking Like a Programmer
Make concepts such as repetition and conditional processing visual
Conceptual similarities with games where one must navigate an in-game avatar around a virtual world
Carol the Robot• Inspired by Stanford's "Karel"• Teaches "thinking like a programmer"
through engaging visual problems• Also teaches C-like syntax and
grammar through stealth
Gamifiying NoobLab A game-style award
system based around “medals”
Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for each practical activity
Medals used summatively
"Ribbons" were awarded for formative work
Gamifiying NoobLab Cohort wide
high score table increases engagement through competition
The results: interesting numbers
28 respondents to an end of module questionnaire
Every one of them agreed that the changes to NoobLab had a positive or highly positive effect
25 out of 28 agreed with the statement "I felt I had to get a gold for every medal in NoobLab"
The results: student feedback
On the medal system and high score table system:
"(it) was a big plus point… there is an engagement factor in earning the medals… I've
also noticed students who maybe aren't so adept in other modules really focusing on
earning medals"
"I play a lot of sport… as a highly competitive person it was the incentive I needed to sit down
and actually complete the work"
The results: tutor observations
It brought out the best from proficient students some carried on winning medals well after
clocking up enough points to get a 100% mark!
…but some burnt through all available material
in one sitting then twiddled their thumbs until new stuff was available
The results: tutor observations Students obsessed over getting gold
and also over formative "ribbons" when they were available
The results: tutor observations
Some weaker students became dependent on the medal system to test code "what's a main method?"
Some were engaging in the "trial and error" approach going for a medal despite never having run
the code! "I didn't get the medal – it must be broken"
The results: tutor observations
Some gaming concepts created misconceptions On many games, if you put in enough
time you will eventually "level up" Some weaker students felt they
"deserved" medals based on the same criteria "I've been working on this one for hours
now, I should get the medal for all that work…?"
Conclusions Gamification in TEL offers great
potential for increasing engagement It is really cool when you see a student
fling both arms aloft and shout "YES" when they get a medal
BUT… a TEL platform is not a computer game
Conclusions Game concepts can map onto
educational activities… …but…
...such concepts can alter students' perceptions of the activities
Gamification does seem to increase motivation and engagement, and students enjoy it – but there can be downsides to it