Learner Attitude, Educational Background, and Gender Influence on Knowledge Gain in a Serious Games-Enhanced Programming Course

Contribution: This research study deploys three serious games with various topics in an entry-level C Programming module and investigates students' learning outcomes. The also explores whether learners belonging to different subgroups benefit more from the use of than their peers. are formed based on learner demographics that capture learners' attitude toward school or STEM subjects, previous educational performance gender. Background: Despite latest rapid economy growth ICT sector, many European countries facing challenge retaining students STEM-related which could lead unfilled vacancies job markets near future. Serious have been utilized classrooms subjects improve experience outcomes, potentially encourage engagement industries. While some prior works had assessed effectiveness improving little has done investigate impacts among background performance, attitude, Research Questions: 1) Do proposed outcomes? 2) certain and/or gender others games? Methodology: To thoroughly outcome, a large-scale pilot was deployed as part first-year undergraduate at Dublin City University, Ireland. A multidimensional pedagogical assessment toolkit utilized. In particular, demographic questionnaire carried out before began, were divided into terms ability, initial school, Pre- post-tests conducted right after playing each game. For subgroup for all students, average pre- post-test marks related game compared, while paired-sample t-tests assess statistical significance knowledge gain. Findings: Statistically significant gains observed students. good strong attending tend gain by using games, they obtained statistically improved outcomes games. starting points, although performed better pretest achieved improvements cases only.