Game2LearnExploring Interactions of Programming in Games

Paige Matthews

Background

Game2Learn

StormHaven

Usability

Study

Gender in Games• Number of students enrolling in IT

programs is declining• Number of women in field is increasing

however they make up less than 20% of the population

• Women are more likely to stay in the field if there are opportunities for collaborative learning

Number of students in IT programs is declining

Develop an interesting interactive educational game that makes programming fun

Number of students in program will increase as will diversity?

Small number of women in the field

Summer Usability Study

• Hypothesis: People will prefer learning through a game as compared to traditional methods of learning programming

• Qualitative Study• Primarily Testing:

– If the games are enjoyable– If the subjects feel they can learn with games– If the subjects would prefer to learn from

games such as these

Layout

• 2 games– 2D, exploratory– 3D, structured

• 3 quests – easy, medium, hard • Why this layout?

– Learning – Game structure– Interface

Game PrototypesSaving Sera

• RPG Maker game• 2D game• 1 version of the game• Several quest

interfaces

The Catacombs

• Neverwinter Nights game

• 3D game• 2 versions

of the game• Each version has a

separate interface

Interfaces

• Saving Sera:– Fill in the blank– Code jumble– Symbolic

Programming– Dialogue Tree

• The Catacombs:– Symbolic programming– Dialogue Trees

Overview of study

• Questionnaire• Pre-test• Playing the games

– Play quests from Saving Sera– Play one version of The Catacombs

• Post-test• Interview

Pre- and Post- Tests

for ( int j = 0; j □□; j++ ){

for ( int k = 0; k □□; k++ ){

print( j + k + “ “);}print( “\n” );

}

Interview

• Background playing games• Feedback for each quest• Overall feedback

• Interview will provide our primary outcome measurements

Future Work

• Apply findings to Game2Learn game• Compare learning with a game to

traditional classroom learning

• Questions?