Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education

Azra Bajramović; Alexander Steinmaurer; Christian Gütl

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education

Azra Bajramović, Alexander Steinmaurer^*, Christian Gütl

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Human-Centred Computing (7060)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference paper › peer-review

Abstract

Game-based learning has shown promise in teaching computer science in schools by enhancing student engagement and motivation. This paper presents a case conducted in an Austrian secondary school involving 23 students. The students were divided into two groups that acquire fundamental skills in programming - one group using game-based learning and the second group in traditional learning. This study aims to incorporate the serious game sCool into computer science education and compare the benefits of game-based learning compared to traditional methods. The study expresses that students within the game-based group showed lower levels of motivation for computer science compared to those using traditional methods. Additionally, the game-based learning approach resulted in similar retention of computational thinking knowledge among the students one year after the study was conducted. The findings support the idea that incorporating serious games in computer science education can lead to improved learning outcomes. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering motivation levels in designing effective educational games and suggests further research in this area to enhance computational thinking teaching.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023
Editors	M.E. Auer, U.R. Cukierman, Eduardo Vendrell Vidal, Edmundo Tovar Caro
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	474-482
Number of pages	9
ISBN (Print)	9783031530210
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47
Publication status	Published - 2024
Event	26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning: ICL 2023 - Madrid, Spain Duration: 26 Sept 2023 → 29 Sept 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume	901 LNNS
ISSN (Print)	2367-3370
ISSN (Electronic)	2367-3389

Conference

Conference	26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning
Abbreviated title	ICL 2023
Country/Territory	Spain
City	Madrid
Period	26/09/23 → 29/09/23

Keywords

computational thinking
Game-based learning
Secondary Education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Control and Systems Engineering
Signal Processing
Computer Networks and Communications

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

Cite this

Bajramović, A., Steinmaurer, A., & Gütl, C. (2024). Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education. In M. E. Auer, U. R. Cukierman, E. Vendrell Vidal, & E. Tovar Caro (Eds.), Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023 (pp. 474-482). (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems; Vol. 901 LNNS). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education. / Bajramović, Azra; Steinmaurer, Alexander ; Gütl, Christian.
Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023. ed. / M.E. Auer; U.R. Cukierman; Eduardo Vendrell Vidal; Edmundo Tovar Caro. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. p. 474-482 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems; Vol. 901 LNNS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference paper › peer-review

Bajramović, A, Steinmaurer, A & Gütl, C 2024, Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education. in ME Auer, UR Cukierman, E Vendrell Vidal & E Tovar Caro (eds), Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol. 901 LNNS, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 474-482, 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning, Madrid, Spain, 26/09/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

Bajramović A, Steinmaurer A , Gütl C. Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education. In Auer ME, Cukierman UR, Vendrell Vidal E, Tovar Caro E, editors, Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2024. p. 474-482. (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

Bajramović, Azra ; Steinmaurer, Alexander ; Gütl, Christian. / Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education. Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023. editor / M.E. Auer ; U.R. Cukierman ; Eduardo Vendrell Vidal ; Edmundo Tovar Caro. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. pp. 474-482 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems).

@inproceedings{f7031b3a2fc6463dba1976aae0a5030c,

title = "Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education",

abstract = "Game-based learning has shown promise in teaching computer science in schools by enhancing student engagement and motivation. This paper presents a case conducted in an Austrian secondary school involving 23 students. The students were divided into two groups that acquire fundamental skills in programming - one group using game-based learning and the second group in traditional learning. This study aims to incorporate the serious game sCool into computer science education and compare the benefits of game-based learning compared to traditional methods. The study expresses that students within the game-based group showed lower levels of motivation for computer science compared to those using traditional methods. Additionally, the game-based learning approach resulted in similar retention of computational thinking knowledge among the students one year after the study was conducted. The findings support the idea that incorporating serious games in computer science education can lead to improved learning outcomes. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering motivation levels in designing effective educational games and suggests further research in this area to enhance computational thinking teaching.",

keywords = "computational thinking, Game-based learning, Secondary Education",

author = "Azra Bajramovi{\'c} and Alexander Steinmaurer and Christian G{\"u}tl",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.; 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning : ICL 2023, ICL 2023 ; Conference date: 26-09-2023 Through 29-09-2023",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783031530210",

series = "Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems",

publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",

pages = "474--482",

editor = "M.E. Auer and U.R. Cukierman and {Vendrell Vidal}, Eduardo and {Tovar Caro}, Edmundo",

booktitle = "Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023",

address = "Germany",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education

AU - Bajramović, Azra

AU - Steinmaurer, Alexander

AU - Gütl, Christian

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Game-based learning has shown promise in teaching computer science in schools by enhancing student engagement and motivation. This paper presents a case conducted in an Austrian secondary school involving 23 students. The students were divided into two groups that acquire fundamental skills in programming - one group using game-based learning and the second group in traditional learning. This study aims to incorporate the serious game sCool into computer science education and compare the benefits of game-based learning compared to traditional methods. The study expresses that students within the game-based group showed lower levels of motivation for computer science compared to those using traditional methods. Additionally, the game-based learning approach resulted in similar retention of computational thinking knowledge among the students one year after the study was conducted. The findings support the idea that incorporating serious games in computer science education can lead to improved learning outcomes. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering motivation levels in designing effective educational games and suggests further research in this area to enhance computational thinking teaching.

AB - Game-based learning has shown promise in teaching computer science in schools by enhancing student engagement and motivation. This paper presents a case conducted in an Austrian secondary school involving 23 students. The students were divided into two groups that acquire fundamental skills in programming - one group using game-based learning and the second group in traditional learning. This study aims to incorporate the serious game sCool into computer science education and compare the benefits of game-based learning compared to traditional methods. The study expresses that students within the game-based group showed lower levels of motivation for computer science compared to those using traditional methods. Additionally, the game-based learning approach resulted in similar retention of computational thinking knowledge among the students one year after the study was conducted. The findings support the idea that incorporating serious games in computer science education can lead to improved learning outcomes. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering motivation levels in designing effective educational games and suggests further research in this area to enhance computational thinking teaching.

KW - computational thinking

KW - Game-based learning

KW - Secondary Education

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85185721942&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_47

M3 - Conference paper

AN - SCOPUS:85185721942

SN - 9783031530210

T3 - Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems

SP - 474

EP - 482

BT - Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education - Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning ICL 2023

A2 - Auer, M.E.

A2 - Cukierman, U.R.

A2 - Vendrell Vidal, Eduardo

A2 - Tovar Caro, Edmundo

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

T2 - 26th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning

Y2 - 26 September 2023 through 29 September 2023

ER -