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