The Potential of Young Learners Making Games: An Exploratory Study

摘要

This paper presents the preliminary results of a Summer Game Development Camp to improve perceptions and persistence of under-represented minorities in computer science (CS). The focus of the camp was to measure changes in the perceptions of and persistence with CS in girls aged between 9 and 11 years old. The game development camp consisted of four days of practical lessons on programming and game development. The camp concluded with a game jam on the final day. The participants used a tile-based free game development platform from Microsoft (Kodu Game Lab) to learn some programming concepts through making computer games. The preliminary results indicate that the children's perceptions of and persistence in CS are influenced by practical programming lessons and making games. The authors observed that a camp exclusively for girls could foster their confidence and capability in learning to program.