extended-abstract

CTArcade: learning computational thinking while training virtual characters through game play

Authors:

Matthew Louis Mauriello,

Benjamin B. BedersonAuthors Info & Claims

CHI EA '12: CHI '12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Pages 2309 - 2314

https://doi.org/10.1145/2212776.2223794

Published: 05 May 2012 Publication History

Abstract

In this paper we describe CTArcade, a web application framework that seeks to engage users through game play resulting in the improvement of computational thinking (CT) skills. Our formative study indicates that CT skills are employed when children are asked to define strategies of common games such as Connect Four. In CTArcade, users can train their own virtual characters while playing games with it. Trained characters then play matches against other virtual characters. Based on reviewing the matches played, users can improve their game character. A basic usability evaluation was performed on the system, which helped to define plans for improving CTArcade and assessing its design goals.

References

[1]

Ayres, P., and Sweller, J. The split-attention principle in multimedia learning. In The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning, R. E. Mayer, Ed. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 135--146.

[2]

Berland, M., and Lee, V. R. Collaborative strategic board games as a site for distributed computational thinking. International Journal of Game-Based Learning 1, 2 (2011), 65--81.

[3]

Chen, X. Students Who Study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Postsecondary Education. Technical report, National Center for Education Statistics, Institute for Education Sciences, Washington DC, USA 2009, 2009.

[4]

Druin, A. Cooperative inquiry: Developing new technologies for children with children. In Proc. CHI 1999, ACM Press (1999), 592--599.

Digital Library

[5]

Goldstone, R. L., and Son, J. Y. The transfer of scientific principles using concrete and idealized simulations. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 14, 1, (2005), 69--110.

[6]

Google. Exploring Computational Thinking. http://www.google.com/edu/computational-thinking/

[7]

Gudzial, M. Education paving the way for computational thinking. Communications of the ACM 51, 8 (2008), 25--27.

Digital Library

[8]

Holbert, N. R., and Wilensky, U. Racing games for exploring kinematics: A computational thinking approach. Paper presented at AERA 2011, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2011.

[9]

Kelleher, C., Pausch, R., and Kiesler, S. Storytelling alice motivates middle school girls to learn computer programming. In Proc. CHI 2007, ACM Press (2007), 1455--1464.

Digital Library

[10]

Moland, K. J., Decline of U.S. student enrollment in computer science programs, Southeastcon, 2011 Proceedings of IEEE, vol., no., pp. 297--299, 17-20 March 2011.

[11]

Nasir, N. S. Individual cognitive restructuring and the sociocultural context: Strategy shifts in the game of dominoes. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 14, 1 (2005), 5--34.

[12]

O'Kelly, J., and Gibson, J. P., RoboCode & problem-based learning. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 38(3):217, June 2006.

Digital Library

[13]

Pane, J. F., Ratanamahatana, A., and Myers, B. A. Studying the language and structure in nonprogrammers' solutions to programming problems. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 54 (2001), 237--264.

Digital Library

[14]

Papert, S. Mindstorms: Children, computers, and powerful ideas. Basic Books, New York, NY, USA, 1993.

Digital Library

[15]

Repenning, A., Webb, D., and Ioannidou, A. Scalable game design and the development of a checklist for getting computational thinking into public schools. In Proc. SIGCSE 2010, ACM Press (2010), 265--269.

Digital Library

[16]

Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernandez, A., Rusk, N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., et al. Scratch: Programming for all. Communications of the ACM 52, 11 (2009), 60--67.

Digital Library

[17]

Stephenson, C., Gal-Ezer, J., Haberman, B., & Verno, A., The New Educational Imperative: Improving High School Computer Science Education The New Educational Imperative. (C. Stephenson, Ed.) Computer, 90. Association for Computing Machinery, 2005.

[18]

Uttal, D. H., Liu, L. L., and DeLoache, J. S. Taking a hard look at concreteness: Do concrete objects help young children learn symbolic relations? In Child Psychology: A Handbook of Contemporary Issues, Lawrence Balter, Catherine Tamis-Lemonda, Eds., Psychology Press, New York, NY, 177--192. Psychology Press, New York, NY, 2000.

[19]

Wing, J. M. Computational thinking. Comm. of the ACM 49, 3 (2006), 33--35.

Digital Library

Cited By

Dumančić MRogulja NTomljenović K(2024)The Importance of Algorithmic Thinking Development in Primary Education2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO)10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569899(653-658)Online publication date: 20-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569899
Parham-Mocello JBerliner GGupta A(2023)Manipulatives for Teaching Computer Science Concepts2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343500(1-9)Online publication date: 18-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343500
Jiang XHarteveld CYang YFung AHuang XChen S(2023)“If it’s sunny, don’t take an umbrella”: a systematic evaluation of design principles for CT teaching gamesEducational technology research and development10.1007/s11423-023-10240-171:4(1725-1763)Online publication date: 22-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10240-1
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

CTArcade: learning computational thinking while training virtual characters through game play
1. Human-centered computing

Recommendations

CTArcade

We believe that children as young as ten can directly benefit from opportunities to engage in computational thinking. One approach to provide these opportunities is to focus on social game play. Understanding game play is common across a range of media ...
The design and evaluation of an AR-based serious game to teach programming
Abstract
The ubiquity of smartphone and tablet devices, combined with the increasing availability of serious games, has enabled students to learn various abstract concepts in an appealing and convenient manner. While several researchers have ...
Highlights
- Design and evaluation procedures for an Augmented Reality-based serious game to teach programming are presented.
Designing history: the path to participation nation
Sandbox '09: Proceedings of the 2009 ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Video Games

This paper describes the iterative design process of a cross media learning environment for high school students, the heart of which is an online collectible card game centered on U.S. Constitutional issues. The method of design and iterative process ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

CHI EA '12: CHI '12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 2012

2864 pages

ISBN:9781450310161

DOI:10.1145/2212776

General Chair:
Joseph A. Konstan
University of Minnesota
,
Program Chairs:
Ed H. Chi
Google
,
Kristina Höök
Mobile Life at KTH

Copyright © 2012 Authors.

Sponsors

SIGCHI: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 05 May 2012

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Request Permissions

Check for updates

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Extended-abstract

Conference

CHI '12

Sponsor:

SIGCHI

CHI '12: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 5 - 10, 2012

Texas, Austin, USA

Acceptance Rates

Overall Acceptance Rate 6,164 of 23,696 submissions, 26%

Upcoming Conference

CHI 2025

Sponsor:
sigchi

ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

April 26 - May 1, 2025

Yokohama , Japan

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

11
Total Citations
View Citations
467
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)15
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)3

Reflects downloads up to 16 Jan 2025

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Dumančić MRogulja NTomljenović K(2024)The Importance of Algorithmic Thinking Development in Primary Education2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO)10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569899(653-658)Online publication date: 20-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569899
Parham-Mocello JBerliner GGupta A(2023)Manipulatives for Teaching Computer Science Concepts2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343500(1-9)Online publication date: 18-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343500
Jiang XHarteveld CYang YFung AHuang XChen S(2023)“If it’s sunny, don’t take an umbrella”: a systematic evaluation of design principles for CT teaching gamesEducational technology research and development10.1007/s11423-023-10240-171:4(1725-1763)Online publication date: 22-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10240-1
Parham-Mocello JErwig MNiess MNelson AWeber JBerliner G(2022)Using a Functional Board Game Language to Teach Middle School Programming2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE56618.2022.9962569(1-9)Online publication date: 8-Oct-2022
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE56618.2022.9962569
Parham-Mocello JErwig MNiess M(2021)Teaching CS Middle School Camps in a Virtual World2021 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC)10.1109/VL/HCC51201.2021.9576271(1-4)Online publication date: 10-Oct-2021
https://doi.org/10.1109/VL/HCC51201.2021.9576271
Ehsan HRehmat ACardella M(2020)Computational thinking embedded in engineering design: capturing computational thinking of children in an informal engineering design activityInternational Journal of Technology and Design Education10.1007/s10798-020-09562-5Online publication date: 25-Feb-2020
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-020-09562-5
Jiang XHarteveld CHuang XFung ADeterding SKhosmood FPirker JApperley T(2019)The computational puzzle design frameworkProceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games10.1145/3337722.3337768(1-11)Online publication date: 26-Aug-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3337722.3337768
Munoz RVillarroel RBarcelos TRiquelme FQuezada ABustos-Valenzuela P(2018)Developing Computational Thinking Skills in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Digital Game ProgrammingIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2018.28774176(63880-63889)Online publication date: 2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2877417
Fleenor HHodhod R(2016)Assessment of Learning and TechnologyHandbook of Research on Learning Outcomes and Opportunities in the Digital Age10.4018/978-1-4666-9577-1.ch003(51-78)Online publication date: 2016
https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-9577-1.ch003
Lezam Lehat MMokhtar RMohd Basir NSokma Y(2015)Programming: A Study on Upper Primary Students’ Attitude towards Education Digital GamesInternational Journal of Computer Theory and Engineering10.7763/IJCTE.2015.V7.9627:3(231-235)Online publication date: Jun-2015
https://doi.org/10.7763/IJCTE.2015.V7.962
Show More Cited By

View Options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Table of Contents