Motivating Programming Learners through Game Development

Abstract

This study aims to promote learners’ motivation for computer programming through game development. Motivation toward computer programming is key to academic success for prospective Computer Science (CS) students. Students will learn effectively if they are motivated, and they will be able to maintain their motivation if they have the confidence to achieve their goals (Jenkins, 2001). Game development is an ideal programming topic for motivating new programming learners. The purpose of this instructional design project was to design and evaluate a game development-based module to provide a motivational introductory programming experience for undergraduate students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A coding module platform to support live editing and a preview of a JavaScript 2D-game was developed using Wordpress, Phaser, and Ace. A series of instructional screencasts was integrated into the coding module platform. John Keller’s Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction (ARCS) model was used for the design of the instructional module and survey instruments. An online module evaluation was conducted with 19 participants, and survey and module usage data were collected. The results indicated overall increases in motivation and confidence levels and the positive impacts of using the module. The record also implied a potential link between the increase in learners’ knowledge and their confidence levels after working on the module. These results guided the research for further improvement of the instructional module.