Computer Programming: A Case Study of Teaching Loop Statement by Using an Interactive Educational Game

Abstract

Many European countries reported a decline in the number of students who choose STEM subjects as their future career. This is due many to the fact that STEM subjects are perceived as being difficult and boring. This paper presents findings of a case study that made use of an educational game (called Loop) to teach the loop statement in a Software Development module. The game was deployed as part of the NEWTON project large scale Programming pilot run at National College of Ireland (NCI) as part of Higher Diploma in Computing-a level 8 conversion degree, during the academic year 2018/2019. 34 mature students (over 23 years old) that already hold a third level educational degree took part in the study. Pre-and post-game assessments and post-game questionnaire were employed while the Loop game was used as part of the lab sessions. Research findings indicate that majority of the students achieved improved knowledge performance in Java programming language coding of the loop statement. The positive assessment outcomes are discussed together with students' feedback in terms of game design and game usability provided in the questionnaire.

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