Pythra’a: A 2D Game for Supporting Pre-college Students Learning Python Programming Language

Computer programming courses are an essential aspect of STEM education that comes with many challenges. Students struggle to master the fundamentals of programming, which results in low pass rates and engagement. The usage of gamification in programming courses has been recognized as a potential technique that could increase student engagement as well as impact learning in a positive way. Therefore, this paper proposes a web portal game that aims to help pre-college students learn the python programming language and prevent those challenges from occurring. The proposed game will be designed and structured to give school students an enhancing experience to learn programming on their own educational journey while generate a deep understanding of main programming principles using diverse problems with enthusiasm and motivation. To keep the student immersed in the game, a rewarding system and a players’ scoreboard are developed. This will increase students’ motivation and competition among their peers.