Playing Video Games to Learn Computational Thinking? A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Secondary CS Education

Game-based learning has shown promise in teaching computer science in schools by enhancing student engagement and motivation. This paper presents a case conducted in an Austrian secondary school involving 23 students. The students were divided into two groups that acquire fundamental skills in programming - one group using game-based learning and the second group in traditional learning. This study aims to incorporate the serious game sCool into computer science education and compare the benefits of game-based learning compared to traditional methods. The study expresses that students within the game-based group showed lower levels of motivation for computer science compared to those using traditional methods. Additionally, the game-based learning approach resulted in similar retention of computational thinking knowledge among the students one year after the study was conducted. The findings support the idea that incorporating serious games in computer science education can lead to improved learning outcomes. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering motivation levels in designing effective educational games and suggests further research in this area to enhance computational thinking teaching.