This project develops an enhancement to the traditional computing curriculum that combines traditional introductory courses and an opportunity to work with exciting new technology. In this approach, the introductory programming sequence is not disturbed, but courses are introduced that reinforce fundamental concepts using mobile game development. Mobile game development provides a new and exciting avenue to recruit and retain the new generation of computer scientists. The companion courses are designed to reinforce core computer science concepts introduced in beginning computing courses using mobile game development with iPod Touch technology.
This project is part of the growing trend of teaching CS1/CS2 type classes using game development as a class context. The main effort of the project lies in developing a broad set of eight games-based modules that can be used at several points in the undergraduate CS curriculum. It is expected that this project has a positive impact on women in computing and its use in beginning courses could help to attract and retain women in computing studies.
A number of institutions have indicated an interest in using the materials due to a good dissemination plan. That plan includes a set of presentations and conference workshops/tutorials, online forums and discussion groups, and project Web site to be contributed to NSDL/CITIDEL as well as several other repositories.
We developed a comprehensive set of learning modules (see www.mgdcs.com for details) that leverages mobile game development as a learning context. These modules introduce engaging game-related projects to introductory Computer Science (CS) courses as a way to strengthen fundamental design and development techniques. They create a platform to introduce students to a diverse range of advanced topics in CS, such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, computer graphics, computer networks, and software engineering, among others. This approach provides a simple and elegant means to motivate students and communicates the diversity and power of many advanced CS areas in a manner that engages students in experiential education. Each module comprises a laboratory project and instructor materials that can be used within a traditional CS course. Included among the instructor materials in each module is a set of clearly defined learning outcomes that aim to reinforce student learning of some fundamental CS concepts (e.g. classes and inheritance), introduce students to an advanced CS topic (e.g. computer networks), and provide students with hands-on experience with that topic. The learning modules are independent of each other. Thus, they provide instructors with the flexibility to incorporate one or several modules into their courses. The project in each module fosters student creativity by encouraging students to explore different design choices for their solutions. Each module also includes a set of supplementary assignments that enables instructors to integrate projects related to mobile gaming into upper-level or advanced courses. This work promotes teaching and learning by offering curricular materials that are compelling and relevant to today’s students. Mobile game development provides a highly interactive and hands-on learning context, which has been shown to improve student motivation and performance, especially among women and minorities. As a matter of fact, women enjoy games-oriented introductory CS courses more than men; their average grades in CS courses that use game design are often higher than men’s; and incorporating games into CS curricula has been shown to increase the percentage of females enrolled in those programs.
