| dc.description.abstract | Learning about software modeling languages from documentation can be a difficult
and confusing process, and many of the currently existing modeling language tutorials
are only marginally better. At the same time, players of video games spend hours
upon hours learning to play games that require mastering complex strategies and
concepts, without losing motivation or interest. This success for motivating learning
effort seen in many games, is in turn supporting an emerging trend of educational
games, designed to teach a wide range of subject to people of all ages. This thesis
presents an exploration of the principles and strategies used by video games to teach
players their mechanics, and an attempt to use these principles to teach software
modeling in an engaging way.
Focusing on modeling with Unified Modeling Language (UML) activities in the context
of Reactive Blocks, two different approaches for teaching the concepts of this topic are
presented. The first approach is simply an improved tutorial, utilizing principles
such as interactiveness and context-sensitivity of information and instruction to
engage learners. The second approach is an educational game, adding immersion
and visualization to the learning experience.
The design and prototype implementation of both the interactive tutorial and the
educational game, and the principles they are based on, are described in detail. Both
prototypes are also evaluated with respect to these principles, focusing on their
usability and teaching potential, with the support of data from user tests. | |
