Development and Evaluation of a Board Game for Teaching the Concept of Algorithms in K-12 Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2019.27.03.310Keywords:
Educational Game, Computational thinking, K-12, Programming, Board GameAbstract
Currently, the teaching of computational thinking in K-12 is emphasized as a 21st century skill. Computational thinking describes a specific mode of algorithmic reasoning based on concepts and processes derived from computer programming. One way to teach concepts about algorithms and programming are non-digital games, being considered effective and fun learning alternatives. Within this context, this article presents SplashCode, a low-cost board game to complement the teaching of algorithms and programming initially presented through a lecture. The game was developed in a systematic way following an instructional design process and applied and evaluated in a Brazilian public school. Assessment results indicate that it can contribute to the students’ learning, as well as to social interaction, relevance and fun, providing a playful, effective and effective learning experience. The game was also evaluated very positively regarding usability facilitating its understanding. One point highly praised by students was the design and choice of Kawaii characters appropriately representing the target audience's preferences. The results of the present work can be used by K-12 teachers for computing education and by researchers and instructional designers to improve the development of instructional methods and materials in this context.
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Copyright (c) 2019 Christiane Gresse von Wangenheim, Giselle Araújo e Silva de Medeiros, Raul Missfeldt Filho, Giani Petri, Fernando da Cruz Pinheiro, M. Nathalie F. Ferreira, Jean C. R. Hauck
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