Engaging Middle School Girls Using CS Games
Stephanie Eordanidis, Carla Casal, Maitri Chakraborty
Advisor: Carolee Stewart
ABSTRACT
Technology is all around us. It’s everywhere from the vehicles we drive to the
classrooms where our children learn. With the augmentation of technological
use and innovation, also comes the increasing need for more computer
scientists and engineers alike. To keep up with this demand we at Kean
University explored the use of games teaching computer science concepts
and principles to potentially educate, interest, and engage the youth of today.
This study is a sub part of the main research venture funded by the NSF-DRLAISL research grant (Award Number: 1421806). That main study focuses on
educating middle school girls through the use of story in analog and digital
games. Our team created 3 analog games, each of which teaches a CS
principle and has a story and abstract version. In addition, we took one of
those games and generated it into digital format as a standalone PC game.
These games were then tested in an eight week after school program we held
and facilitated in order to gather statistics and other pertinent data to see
whether games teaching CS principles and concepts are more useful with
story or without it, to engage, interest, and educate middle school aged
females. We utilized pre and post game assessments, video/photography,
facilitator observational notes, and attitudinal, demographic, and engagement
surveys to collect our data during the after school program testing. After
analyzing the data gathered, we were able to conclude that the games we
created, of both analog and digital format, had appealed, interested, and
engaged a large portion of the participants. All information and findings
gathered will be used to make modifications and fine tune the games and
facilitator plans the team had produced. Summer 2016 is set to prepare for
presenting and holding workshops showcasing these games with educators.
Computer Science Department, Kean University
HOW RESULTS WERE COLLECTED
Three analog and one digital game was tested in this study. Each analog game
had both a story and abstract version. We collected data from Pre and Post
assessments done before and after each game as well as attitudinal
assessments. After analyzing the assessments and data, we generated excel
spreadsheets for each game. Our findings are as stated below.
FOCUS GROUP RESULT
Image Representation Game: Participant like this competitive game and they
enjoyed revealing the hidden Image by using 1 and 0. They also like playing in
pairs. It is easy and fun for them.
*Participants playing two different levels of the Algorithm Relay Race game
Algorithm Relay Race Game: Participants liked the relay race game due to its
team/cooperative play. They gained joy from improving their algorithm skills,
writing step by step information which can followed by their team mates. They
enjoyed the fact that this game was interactive and had them outside as well.
Data Organize Search and Sort Game: Participant had no interest when they
played the first time, however as they continued the game and got better the
began to find delight in it. The found the game entertaining and enjoyable.
YOYO Game Software Demo: Participant like the YOYO game maker software
demonstrations and learning how to make a digital game using that software.
Digital Hidden Image game: They enjoyed to playing this digital version of the
Image Representation game, they enjoyed getting better at they game and selfimproving.
OVERALL: Participants seemed to be visually engaged during this study. Many
of the participants enjoyed the competitive and cooperative nature of the
games, as well as they wished they could continue playing the games well after
the sessions were over.
INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY
This research study was conducted to track the engagement levels of middle
school girls playing games developed to teach computer science principles.
The games that were played by these girls were developed by this research
team with the help and consultation of another research team conducting a
similar study. There were approximately 24 girls participating in this study,
which occurred once a week for eight consecutive weeks. Each week the
collective group was divided into two. The two groups played the same three
games, however, one group played the games without a story attached and the
second group played the game with a story. The first game was called the Image
Representation game in which coordinates were called out to reveal an image. If
the coordinate showed the number “1,” it represented a black space and the
number “0” would represented a white space. Our intent was to demonstrate
how numbers can represent images as well as how to encode and decode
messages. The second game was an Algorithm Relay Race in which teams were
directed to write instructions for their team members to follow exactly as written
in order to carry out a task. The goal was for the girls to learn the importance of
clear instructions when writing an algorithm. The third game was called Data
Search and Sort. The purpose of this game was to demonstrate the importance
of organizing data in order to find a specific piece quickly and with ease. The
last game played was a digital adaptation of the Image Representation game. All
girls played the same version of this game. Before and after each game, we
collected information about the group’s knowledge of the topic in order to track
the learning that took place. We also tracked the group’s engagement
throughout each of the games using an engagement survey as well as our own
observations.
RESULTS
*Participants playing the digital Hidden Image game
CONCLUSIONS
During the Fall of 2016, an eight week afterschool program called “Girls
Play 2 Learn” was conducted to at Grace Wildly Middle School in
Roselle NJ. This study was conducted to see if it was possible to
engage educate middle school aged females through the use of games,
with and without story, based on Computer Science principles and
concepts. After analyzing the data and utilizing our own observations,
we came to the conclusion that the participants not only showed
interest in these CS based games, but also enjoyed playing them in both
digital and non-digital format. In addition, the participants in both the
story and abstract groups were engaged, involved, and had fun at the
same time.
FUTURE WORKS
*Participants playing the analog Image Representation Game
Summer 2016 is set to prepare for presenting and holding workshops
to showcase these games with educators for in class use at a later
date.