Using games in introductory courses: tips from the trenches

Computer Science degree program enrollments have fallen precipitously since the year 2000 and it is not surprising that novel approaches to education are being tried to both attract and retain students. One of the areas with a record of success is with using games in introductory programming courses...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:SIGCSE bulletin 2009-04, Vol.41 (1), p.337-341
Main Author: Bayliss, Jessica D.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Computer Science degree program enrollments have fallen precipitously since the year 2000 and it is not surprising that novel approaches to education are being tried to both attract and retain students. One of the areas with a record of success is with using games in introductory programming courses. While there are several successful programs, the drawbacks of these approaches are not commonly discussed along with their benefits. Having run a successful game-based program that retained students within the CS major at a 93% rate, we discuss both the benefits of the program as well as the problems that need to be considered and overcome.
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/1539024.1508989