Abstract:

Learning how to program, requires that students understand and use several information sources and skill sets at the same time. Students need to learn syntax, the process for applying it and have a deep understanding of the problem itself. This effort is often overwhelming and the Division of Information Technology & Science (IT&S) at Champlain College is utilizing games, and 3D interactive environments to motivate and reduce this effort. By providing a game-like 3D world, and targeting the manipulation of objects, the problem comprehension is artificially boosted, while traditional programming syntax knowledge is minimized. Students focus the majority of their energy on comprehension and application of basic programming skills (sequence, iteration, conditional execution) to 3D object models. For more traditional programming languages, games are utilized to increase the comprehension of the problem itself as well as motivate students to bring the problem, syntax and process together in a working program.