Hour of Code is a widely recognized global event that aims to introduce programming to novice users and integrate computer science into education. This paper presents an analysis of the effectiveness of the support system and user interface of Minecraft Adventurer, a serious game designed for the Hour of Code global event. Although previous…

Learning basic concepts of programming resulting in a development on computational thinking (CT) can be reached by means of digital programming environments. As a counterpart, the application of unplugged programming activities seems also to have promising potential regarding the impact on CT. The main characteristic of unplugged programming is…

Serious games are a growing field in academic research and they are considered an effective tool for education. Game-based learning invokes motivation and engagement in students resulting in effective instructional outcomes. An essential aspect of a serious game is the method of support for presenting the teaching material and providing feedback.…

This article reports on a design-based research study centered on the conception and the assessment of the "Pyrates" application. This online serious game aims at introducing Python programming to K-12 students while easing the transition from block-based to text-based languages. After we present the various aspects underlying the…

The purpose of this research is to get students' opinions on teaching programming to students with the help of educational games in the conditions of additional education in computer science. In order to carry out the study in accordance with the main purpose, the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The…

This study provides an overview of efforts to improve experiential learning outcomes by integrating the curriculum of an upper-level Project Management (PM) course with an Introductory Programming (IP) course using a game-making project. Students in the PM course applied PM methods and techniques while supervising teams of students in the IP…

Game based-learning have been widely promoted to overcome the difficulties encountered by beginners to learn programming. However, there are many issues to address for the implementation of game-based learning. Indeed, game-based learning is not limited to adding game elements such as rewards to a learning situation, but it rather consists of…

Computer programming has become an essential part of K12 education, promoted as a way for students to engage in computational thinking that helps develop students' ability to analyze and solve problems and prepare them for future careers. Tabletop board games are seen as an effective means to help students learn computer programming. Several board…

This study examines the effectiveness of a collaborative support method in enhancing programming learning outcomes in a serious game. The game Code Hasp was developed to facilitate the comparison between two support methods, worked examples and a collaborative peer support approach. A total of 111 elementary school students participated, divided…

This dissertation follows a manuscript-style format, beginning with an introduction and literature review, followed by three distinct studies and a concluding section. All three studies use "Lucky Codes," an educational board game designed to foster computational thinking skills in elementary students, as the intervention. The first…

Computer programming is essential nowadays but still challenging to learn due to its invisible thinking. Current programming environments are mostly designed for operating on computers directly to learn concrete programming, but this approach lacks the support for clarifying learners' thinking processes. On the other hand, using paper and pens…

In this paper we present the result of our work on implementation of an interactive environment that can be used to develop adaptive games with animating characters. The environment is designed to run in design and run mode, whereas certain design mode characteristics are still applicable in run mode so that the player can enhance the game and…

Coding games are widely used to teach computational thinking (CT). Studies have broadly investigated the role of coding games in supporting CT learning in formal classroom contexts, but there has been limited exploration of their use in informal home-based settings. This study investigated the factors that motivated students to use a coding game…

Now in its sixth year of implementation, the TECHFIT approach involves having individuals and teams of middle school teachers successfully complete a week-long, professional development (PD) workshop through which they acquire the essential skills that contribute to the task of innovating an exergame. An exergame is a technology-supported fitness…

This study critically reviews sixteen empirical studies that investigate the various difficulties that primary school students encounter while learning programming through educational games. Specifically, the challenges that students face in understanding basic programming concepts and the game elements that contribute to these difficulties, as…