Finding The Best Approach For Using Serious Games In Teaching Computer Programming

Abstract

Several studies reported the problem of high attrition and failure rates in computing schools. Many solutions were proposed and used to overcome these difficulties. The use of serious games for teaching computer programming was among the proposed solution. Several studies have reported the use of serious games and the benefits of using such educational method. However, different approaches can be applied when using serious games and no study compared the different approaches to find the best way for using serious games. This study compares two different approaches for using a serious game called Robocode for teaching computer programming. The study conducted an experiment with first year students taking introductory to programming course in three universities in Jordan. The results showed that using serious games for teaching computer programming through tutorials is the best approach. The results showed a significant improvement for using serious games through tutorials when compared to not using serious games at all.