Code Lab - A Game That Teaches High Level Programming Languages, workshop paper presented at HCI 2016 - Fusion! BHCI Ubiquitous Gaming Interaction Design Workshop on 12 July 2016.

Abstract

With a sharp rise in the adoption of technology throughout the younger generation there is a sudden need for more technologically focused teaching methods in the educational sector. Many applications and websites offer games to students in order to decrease the learning curve associated with challenging subject matter. However, very few of these games have strived to teach high level programming languages to younger students. We propose in this paper Code Lab, a game that utilizes prominent learning theories, to structure the educational content, whilst using game design theory to attune the visual and mechanical design to appeal to students aged between 14 and 16. The evaluation results has shown that Code Lab helps students understand some basic programming concepts, though it is vital to balance between learning and entertainment through rewarding students and including less obstrusive learning material in the game.