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ERIC Number: EJ1189134
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-2357
EISSN: N/A
A Pilot Study on the Effectiveness and Acceptance of an Educational Game for Teaching Programming Concepts to Primary School Students
Giannakoulas, Andreas; Xinogalos, Stelios
Education and Information Technologies, v23 n5 p2029-2052 Sep 2018
Educational games are increasingly used in informal and formal educational settings for promoting active learning and gaining students' interest in cognitively demanding subjects, such as programming. However, empirical studies that investigate the true impact of educational games on teaching and learning programming, especially to small aged students, are limited. This article presents the results of a pilot study that utilized the educational game "Run Marco" for teaching basic programming concepts to primary school students. Students' performance was studied through specially designed worksheets, while their acceptance of the intervention was evaluated through a questionnaire that was based on the principles of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The results of the pilot study showed that the educational game supported students in comprehending basic programming concepts, while the results regarding the acceptance of its usage in the learning process were quite positive. However, the game did not succeed in raising students' interest as expected and further research is necessary in order to study the reasons for this fact and make informed choices on designing and utilizing such games.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A