Applying Online Multiplayer Educational Games based on Generic Shells to Enhance Learning of Recursive Algorithms: Students' Preliminary Results

This paper provides a methodology for the implementation of an online multiplayer educational game during a virtual classroom. We investigate the students' preliminary results of applying a multiplayer Educational Game to enhance learning of recursive algorithms. The game was provided during synchronous tele-educational service complementary to f2f lecturing in the compulsory (first semester) course "Algorithms with C" of the Department of Applied Informatics at the University of Macedonia, Greece. The Recursion game was embedded in one of a series of synchronous virtual classrooms, the Tutoring Tele-Meetings (TTMs) for complementing face-to-face classroom instruction in conventional higher education with methods and tools of Open and Distance Education. Virtual Classrooms were implemented on CENTRA Symposium platform, through the server of the Hellenic Open University. Educational games were created on the Online Educational Games Central (EGC) of TELUQ University of Quebec, Canada. Savie's online EGC was designed as a virtual meeting-place for those interested in using games for educational purposes. Teachers can choose between either using pre-defined available games. Teachers need to add the content based on pre-determined objectives to generate a new educational game adapted to their audience. Our goal using a synchronous educational game was to provide our students with the opportunity to our students to work together, to review, to ascertain misunderstandings and to integrate what they have learned about recursive algorithms. Thirty three (33) undergraduates of first semester "played" the web-based educational game "Recursive Algorithms", which was created based on the "Snakes and Ladders" shell. The usability of integrating an educational game based on EGC platform in virtual classrooms, the students' motivation and their perceptions and attitudes were investigated. In details, the way how students faced up the "game" educational approach and their results in the final examination were combined. The first result showed that the interaction between students via educational games is a valuable learning experience. Online games based on EGC platform constitute an important medium in Computer Science education especially for novice undergraduates. Future plans include further developing of two more games with different shells in EGC platform. Furthermore, we are looking into the potential of using a game - based approach to create adaptive learning environments to attract students and increase their motivation to learn.