Computational Thinking and Serious Game Mechanics: A Case Study on the Decomposition Line
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2025.4877Keywords:
Computational Thinking, Game Mechanics, Serious GamesAbstract
The first decades of the 21st century have highlighted society's growing dependence on technology, intensified by Artificial Intelligence and the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted many activities to remote environments. In this context, education must include the development of Computational Thinking (CT) to form citizens capable of solving problems that can be processed by computers. Promoting CT, which is already part of the National Common Curricular Base, is essential for preparing students both for the job market and for living in a digital society. This scenario demands that traditional education adapt to the needs of Digital Natives (DN), who do not always respond effectively to conventional teaching practices. Often, there is a conflict between the teaching methods adopted by instructors, usually Digital Immigrants, and the expectations of DN, who are accustomed to a constantly connected life. Considering this backdrop, Serious Games emerge as a promising approach to developing CT, promoting 21st-century skills, and engaging DN. However, there is still no well-established conceptual relationship between these areas. This work advances the investigation of a semantic relationship between serious game mechanics and the lines of CT. A case study is conducted for the Decomposition (DEC) line, demonstrating that designers and players identify the possibility of composing, decomposing, interrelating, and reusing (actions related to DEC) when manipulating the mechanics of Behavioural Momentum, Tile-Based Movement, and Role-Playing. These relationships, identified in a semantic mapping, were previously corroborated by a panel of specialists.
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Copyright (c) 2025 André Luis Macedo Caruso, Simone André da Costa Cavalheiro, Marilton Sanchotene de Aguiar
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