Comparing Traditional Teaching and Game-Based Learning Using Teacher-Authored Games on Computer Science Education

Authors: Daniel Lopez-Fernandez, Aldo Gordillo, Pedro P. Alarcon, Edmundo Tovar

Date: 2021-11-01

Abstract

This article provides evidence on the effectiveness of game-based learning (GBL) for computer science education when using educational video games created by teachers using authoring tools.

Questions

  1. Is GBL using teacher-authored games more effective than traditional teaching in terms of motivation for computer science students?
  2. Is GBL using teacher-authored games more effective than traditional teaching in terms of knowledge acquisition for computer science students? (@lopez-fernandez2021, 1)

Methodology

  1. Two randomized control trials with pretest, posttest, and one questionnaire were conducted to compare the effectiveness of traditional teaching and GBL in two computer science courses. The sample of the two experiments was composed by 75 and 49 students, respectively. Half of the students attended a traditional lecture, while the other half learned solely by playing teacher-authored educational video games. (@lopez-fernandez2021, 1)

Conclusion

  1. The results show that GBL using teacher-authored games was practically as effective as traditional teaching in terms of knowledge acquisition, but that it was emphatically successful in increasing student motivation. Students who learned by playing educational video games found the experience more motivating and fun than their counterparts, and a vast majority of them preferred the GBL approach over traditional teaching. (@lopez-fernandez2021, 1)