Your Journey Starts Here: gamifying an introductory computing course with a critical-dystopian narrative
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2023.3553Keywords:
Computing Education, Gamification, Narrative, Critical ThinkingAbstract
At the Department of Informatics at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), we offer a mandatory discipline for incoming students to promote the development of the necessary skills for the Computing undergraduation course and professional practice throughout life. The discipline was conceived to i) present the chosen course, Computing, and its different areas; ii) favor the development of Computational Thinking; and iii) promote critical thinking and exercise creative and teamwork skills. In this article, we report our experience with the gamification of this introductory discipline through a dystopian narrative that connects all activities and contents throughout thirteen phases. The narrative was conceived and applied to 1. promote students' engagement and interest in the discipline; 2. present relevant concepts and topics about the area and the chosen course; and 3. work on non-technical subjects, such as ethical issues and professional responsibility. Based on the opinions of 45 students obtained through a questionnaire applied at the end of the discipline, it was possible to identify that the narrative met its three purposes, contributing positively to the beginning of the chosen course. The results corroborate the literature, indicating the positive potential of using narratives as a gamification resource, and offer an example of applying a narrative in a situated context.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Roberto Pereira, Rachel Reis, Guilherme Derenievicz, Leticia Mara Peres, Fabiano Silva
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