Gaming for Computer Science
Instruction [part 2]
Andrew Phelps
Director, Game Design & Development
College of Computing & Information Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology
Programming Education Hurdles
Problems with an objects-first approach
(CC2001):
Problems with materials
Lack of experience
Object-oriented thinking not natural for the
introductory course
Libraries & GUI’s overwhelm the student
May not be reinforced in upper level courses
[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]
Programming Education Hurdles
Students don’t have the conceptual
framework to understand object-oriented
programmingP – toy problems without
reference to current understanding
Too hard to go to applications made up of
objects and relationships from individual
classes
Need to teach control structures, etc along
with object-oriented programming techniques
All of this leads to a decline in student
enrollment and self-efficacy in computing
as a profession!
Perceived Problem
Gulf of Expectation:
Today’s student is motivated by games,
modding, music-lists and collaborative
computing. [1][2][3] In contrast, today’s
programming classroom is (still)
isolationist, focused on syntax rather than
intellectual meat [4], and revolves around
toy problems that can often be solved with
a calculator, which sidesteps real learning.
[5][6][7]
Perceived Problem
Divisional Groups:
Upper Division Groups: Have
learned the introductory material
and have “suffered through” to get
to the “good stuff” (i.e. the game
engine courses)
Lower Division Groups: Are
just arriving on campus eager to
change the world, but don’t know
how to get started.
Zero
Meaningful
Interaction
Strategies for Successful
Objects First Experiences
Using gaming ideas as a basis for teaching.
Teaching design before coding syntax
Immediate feedback for actions
Teaching object-oriented concepts early
Showing the relationships between classes
Carrying object-oriented concepts into later
courses
No “toy problems” – tie programming to realworld problem solving
[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][38][53][54][55]
Approach
Create a virtual
environment that
allows students
to realize gameworld-like
achievement /
artifacts, and
allows for
socialization
across the
capability gap.
Background
SAGE
[UNT]
Logo (now
StarLogo) @
MIT [26]
NGP
Karel the
Robot [27]
Alice @ CMU
[28][29][30]
SecondLife
[secondlife.com]
Rapunsel @
NYU [32]
Moose
Crossing
DXFramework
[U of M]
PigWorl
d [31]
We wanted something
that felt more gameworld like in terms of
graphics, interactions,
and social constructs,
but that also
preserved the
compilation /
authorship process
common to first-year
computing curricula.
Introducing M.U.P.P.E.T.S.:
The Multi-User Programming
Pedagogy for Enhancing
Traditional Study:
[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Will not dictate curriculum
(although objects first is best )
Will not dictate collaboration
level (although more is better)
What is it?
Collaborative virtual
environment
Integrated IDE
Ability to compile,
instantiate, debug
and recompile from
inside the
environment (or
VS2005)
Ability for students to
share objects and
interact.
C# & Java IDE
User Created
Objects
Shared 3D
Environment
Impact as a Teaching Aid
Show class
relationships
Composition to
create new
objects from other
objects
Association to
show a “knows of”
relationship
between objects
Ability to display a
UML diagram
showing
relationships
visually.
A trooper avatar
exploring his own class
diagram
Collaborative & Constructivist
Learning
Classroom exercises
based on
constructivist
principles, using
M.U.P.P.E.T.S. as a
scaffold as
knowledge is gained.
[5][16][17][18][19][20]
1.
There is no sense of universal truth.
Instead, the learner constructs
knowledge, and therefore a concept
of truth, through interactions with the
real world combined with past
experiences.
2.
The formation of new knowledge
must be built upon knowledge already
constructed by the learner.
3.
Learning is framed through social
interaction with others including peers
and experts.
4.
Meaningful learning can only occur
when the learner is engaged in
complex, authentic tasks
Collaborative & Constructivist
Learning
“the instructional use of
small groups so that
students work
together to maximize
their own and each
other’s learning”
(with an emphasis on
interdependence)
Collaborative
projects are
encouraged to
break the
cultural mode.
[21][22][23][24]
Anecdotal Success
Assignment Type
Traditional
Robocode
TankBrain
30
25
20
Count
They think they
learned more (not
clear that they
actually did)
Closer to their goals
and expectations?
More relevant to
their peers?
15
10
5
0
Practically
nothing
Little
Moderate
A lot
amount
Amount Learned
Exceptional
amount
Table 1: Mean Ranks for Perceived Amount Learned by
Assignment Type
Assignment Type
Amount Learned
Traditional
Robocode
TankBrain
Total
N
55
21
42
Mean Rank
57.41
38.90
72.54
118
Work previously presented by A. Phelps,
C Egert, K Bierre and P Ventura at
SIGCSE 2006
Breaking Down Barriers
TankBrain
Tag
Gomoku
OMGZ, an Art1sT
in teh comp l4b!!!11!!one
Gomoku by D. Parks and E. Huyer, Tank Brian by Prof. K.
Bierre’s 219 Class, Robot by Michael P. Clark. All rights
reserved, Rochester Institute of Technology 2002-2006
A Quick Tour of M.U.P.P.E.T.S.
Andrew Phelps
Director, Game Design & Development
Rochester Institute of Technology
Acknowledgements
RIT Provost’s Learning Initiatives Grants
RIT Information Technology Department
RIT Entertainment Technology Lab
Microsoft Research (John Nordlinger and
others)
Contact Information
Andrew M. Phelps
MUPPETS.RIT.EDU
Director, Game Design & Development
Associate Professor
Interactive Media Group
Department of Information Technology
College of Computing & Info. Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology
amp@it.rit.edu andysgi.rit.edu
SlipField game by RIT Information Technology students ©
2005-2006
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