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Using Games in Software Engineering Education

to Increase Student Success & Retention


Shaun Longstreet, Ph.D. & Kendra Cooper, Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas

Abstract Gaming & Best Practices in Traditional


Teaching Method
Many Computer Science (CS) and Software Engineering (SE) programs are working on
increasing the retention and success rates of underrepresented and higher at-risk
Higher Education [5]

undergraduate populations such as women, visible minorities, non-traditional, rural and Task-oriented, encourages practice & mastery Text or lecture centered
first-generation students. Likewise, there is a continued call to establish a broad range of Student Fosters strategic thinking & transference of
skills in all SE graduates, including international competencies and functioning in a diverse Centered Static, representational
knowledge to more complex scenarios learning environment
workforce.[1] Advantage Highly motivating, appeals to a students sense of
In more traditional modes of teaching SE, via lecture and textbooks, the successful students fantasy & amusement Content oriented, not task
tend only to be those who develop sufficient retention of presented content for written exams.
Three noted problems with traditional approaches to SE teaching include: Stress on rote memory
Variability in learning applications
when faculty are the primary content and assessment providers, specific students needs
Interactive, experiential environment for active learning Dependent on physical
or abilities tend to be glossed over. This increases the difficulty for students from
by each individual student classroom, class
different educational backgrounds and/or with different abilities. Students from
Pedagogy Mastery of lower-level tasks towards increased
meetings
backgrounds different than the instructor find it more difficult to relate to class
discussions and/or classroom activities. This quickly tends to marginalize
of Gaming analytical skills to better assist the under-prepared
Feedback infrequent and
underrepresented and at-risk students.[2] Advantages Student-paced learning, self-directed usually post-assessment
faculty and students are outside of an effective feedback loop. Faculty do not know if Frequent, immediate feedback for faster learning
Encourages improvement on individual needs Difficult to learn
students understand key concepts until they see summative assessments (such as
transference skills
midterms or final projects). Students often do not receive immediate feedback regarding
their mastery of content; graded assignments/exams are returned well after first More flexible curriculum, relies on varied
Little exposure to team
exposure of content. Underprepared, non-traditional and at-risk students are thus more experiences, allows different approaches to learning building activities, shared
likely to drop out of SE programs.[3] Encouraging objectives [6] experiences, diversity
even successful students tend to have a limited ability with transferring their knowledge Diversity Higher-risk students play on their own time, more
and time-on-task learning Students with different
from text and/or lecture materials and later applying it to real-world software
Creates a shared learning experience for everyone backgrounds, outlooks
management scenarios.[4] Retention
from faculty/majority find
Highlights benefits of inclusive environments and the curriculum more
We argue that an effective and efficient method to address the above problems is to
shift the learning environment away from traditional text and lecture formats toward a diverse work teams difficult to process
dynamic environment that incorporates game play to create active, individually
unique, diverse learning experiences.

Examples of SimSYS
Prototype Game Interface
These mock-ups demonstrate how the game initiates students into the
practice and rhetoric of Software Engineering Management. The
game provides student players with typical challenges associated with
Software Engineering management. In order to win the game, players
are required to constantly build upon, assess, synthesize and apply
their knowledge of Software Engineering development practices.

Student players will also begin to develop critical skills such as


working as a team leader in a shifting needs environment. She or he
will learn the benefits of functioning in an inclusive, diverse
workplace. Student players of all backgrounds then take these skills
with them into the classroom and later into the workforce.

SimSYS: An Engaging Game for Software & Summary


Systems Engineering The creation of a real-time strategy game has a better chance of increasing the efficacy of attaining Software
Engineering student learning outcomes. Game play learning shifts the teaching paradigm away from
The concept for SimSYS, a Software Development Management game is summarized below: problematic issues typically based in static, representational teaching methods.
Game genre is single-player, real-time strategy The rules of the game are designed to mimic the rhetoric of SE as a discipline, thereby engaging players to
Machine is PC (no specialized equipment required), students can play on personal and/or lab computers at their develop mindsets they can use in professional contexts. The paradigm shift this game creates augment
convenience faculty resources so more course time can be spent reflecting on issues that players had while working
towards the course goals instead of faculty providing content delivery. This will help students become life-long
Target Player is an undergraduate software engineering student
learners, practice deeper problem-solving skills, and enhance their ability to communicate about SE in a
Level of difficulty is easy at first, the game progresses by scaffolding new concepts and challenges as mastery professional context.
develops
Game world is a Software Development Organization (offices, meeting rooms); game concepts and terminology Games are effective learning tools because they appeal to student curiosity; they provide a continuous
reflect those typically employed in Software Engineering Management
challenge where existing tasks or knowledge appear incomplete, inconsistent or incorrect, thereby challenging
a student to continue and foster deeper levels of learning. Because the game environment will better motivate
Game player starts play as Scrum Master (project manager) for an agile development process
each individual student to repeatedly practice outside of class time, challenging everyone to improve where
Game player is presented with a product description that needs to be developed for a product owner (customer they specifically have a need, higher-risk students will have better chances of success in SE courses.
stakeholder)
Player must select a diverse, adequately skilled scrum team, elicit requirements and create a release backlog Finally, because the game demonstrates real benefits for diverse team cooperation, all students practice
strategies for effective team leadership. The game stresses cooperation while also challenging students to
with the product owner, then manage development sprints (short iterations)
interface with typical team cohesion challenges. They can then share their experiences with each other as
part of a greater conversation in the course.
The Scrum Master is scored in terms of the profitability of the development team and Product Owner satisfaction. If the
References
sprints are done on time with high quality, then the Scrum Master is rewarded in the game. Rewards include
[1] Jorge L. Daz-Herrera and Thomas B. Hilburn (editors), Software Engineering 2004 Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Software
recognition awards (plaques, bonus pay, pay raise), additional cubicle space, new equipment (hardware, software, Engineering, A Volume of the Computing Curricula Series, August 23, 2004, The Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula, IEEE Computer Society and the Association for
peripherals,), coke machine, and new office furniture. Late or poor quality sprints result in penalties, which may Computing Machinery.
[2] Felder, R.M. and Silverman, L.K. Learning and teaching styles in engineering education, in Engineering Education 78, 1990, 674-681
include termination. The Scrum Masters risks include selecting a team without adequate skills or agreeing to deliver [3] Alexander, P.A. and Judy, J.E. (1998) The interaction of domain-specific and strategic knowledge in academic performance. Review of Educational Research, 58(4),
too many or too few requirements in a sprint. pp 375-404.
[4] Lovett, M.C. (2001) A collaborative convergence on studying reasoning processes: A case study in statistics. In S. Carver and D. Klahr (Eds.) Cognition and instruction:
Twenty-five years of progress. Mahwah, NJ, Erlbaum, pp. 347-84.
SimSYS Software and Systems Engineering Educational Game Development, [5] Malone, T. (1980) What makes things fun to learn? Heuristics for Designing Instructional Computer Games, in Proceedings of the 3rd ACM SIG SMALL Symposium
and the First SIGPC Symposium Small Systems. Palo Alto, CA, pp. 162-169.
Project Homepage, available at: http://www.utdallas.edu/~kcooper/SimSYS [6] Ibrahim, R. and Jaafar, A., Educational games (EG) design framework: combination of game design, pedagogy and content modeling, 2009, vol.1, pp. 293-298.

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