re: The Problem with Games in Computer Science Class

Doug — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:48:29 GMT

Computer programs are tools used to do something. Games are an easily recognized domain and there are many others:

- graphic arts

- music

- text

- communication

Computers as personal enrichment tools have many possibilities. There are so many things that can be done and many of them have not been thought of yet or could be implemented much better.

re: The Problem with Games in Computer Science Class

Leigh Ann — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:25:46 GMT

ok, so thanks for the plug Alfred, but I do want to point out the phrase "in isolation". I was looking at game programming in the classroom not as an educational tool for understanding individual assignments (in fact I have a battleship example I use with my classes that I hope will be included in the Nifty panel at SIGCSE in March) but more the idea that using games in classes as a motivator for enrollment and retention.

Citations: "Teaching with games: The minesweeper and asteroids experience" - 2001 CCSC - makes reference to the fact that when current cs students are asked games and game playing is what got them into CS.

"CSE - Incremental game development in an introductory programming course" - ACM Southeast 1995

And these are just a few. I totally believe in using games in classes to motivate individual assignments, but I think that needs to be tempered with "broader picture" type ideas as well.