Middle school students often enter Computer Science (CS) classes without previous CS or Computational Thinking (CT) instruction. This study evaluated how Code.org's block-based programming curriculum affects middle school students' CT skills and attitudes toward CT and CS. Sixteen students participated in the study. This was a mixed methods action…

This qualitative case study aimed to explore how novice instructional designers solved a real-world problem by proposing an instructional design model in Second Life. Twenty-one novice instructional designers who enrolled in a Distance Education course were tasked with proposing an instructional design model to solve the high drop-out rate problem…

Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills (CPS) have become increasingly important. Research into the development of CPS is still scarce, but there are several approaches that may be useful for its development. Specifically, providing feedback in collaborative contexts is key. In this paper, we study and develop a feedback system that uses Automated…

The 3D game development process is significant in improving knowledge and skills, such as literacy of information technologies, computational, analytical, and algorithmic thinking, programming, and spatial abilities. Besides, the 3D game development is a difficult and complex learning process. Within this context, it was decided that teaching…

A constant challenge for faculty is to gain and to hold student interest so that substantive learning can occur. One way to achieve this is through the use of games. This article describes an escape room activity for the classroom that is modeled after commercial escape rooms. This fun, single-session team dynamics exercise can be used in an…

In the 21st century, mobile games have become a growing interest among children, including primary school students. This can be a great opportunity for instructors to utilize mobile games approaches and students' interest in games for education teaching and learning purposes, specifically in the primary classroom environment. However, there is no…

Educational technology is shifting toward facilitating personalized learning. Such personalization, however, requires a detailed understanding of students' problem-solving processes. Sequence analysis (SA) is a promising approach to gaining granular insights into student problem solving; however, existing techniques are difficult to interpret…

Escape rooms are making their way into the chemistry classroom as a learning tool. However, escape rooms require a large amount of preparation and setup, and they are only novel and exciting for a single play-through. For escape room games to be incorporated into multiple class periods, they must be streamlined for reuse. In this work, I introduce…

There is a growing perception that computational thinking can be developed in unplugged environments. A recent trend among these unplugged approaches is the use of tabletop games. While there are many commercial tabletop games on the market that are promoted as teaching computer science and/or computational skills, little is known about how these…

As game-based learning continues to draw attention, students' perceptions toward classroom activities are vital in influencing the quality of learning. This study used the social cognitive theory to show the perception traits of learning and playing in game-based environments and for students to identify their self-efficacy toward game-based…

Sorting is a fundamental computing concept. As for today, it is taught at the secondary school level. However, this kind of algorithm is an obstacle for some students due to its high level of abstraction. To prevent discouragement as well as to incorporate a fun and challenging algorithmic task, a novel tablet-based digital game,…

The increasing screen time and digital distractions in modern education have underscored the need for innovative approaches to early childhood learning that reconnect children with the natural world. This study investigates the integration of cooperative learning methods in nature within the "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration"…

Workers in many vocations rely on a wide range of information to solve problems, including Dutch municipal enforcement officials (MEOs) who require this skill when planning surveillance routes. The present study focused on the development of a digital simulation game intended for assessing domain-specific information problem solving (IPS) in…

Despite the increasing use of digital tools in education, limited research has explored their combined impact on both cognitive and affective learning outcomes in mathematics. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the effect of integrating GeoGebra technology through Augmented Reality (AR) and microgames on students' motivation,…

This study focuses on pre-service teachers' experimentation with a game-modding process in a constructionist setting whilst they experimented with randomness embedded in wider socio-scientific issues that call for decision making under uncertainty. In this process, participants created 39 different game mods. Our observations of the participants…