Computational thinking development and assessment through tabletop escape games

Résumé En

The development and assessment of computational thinking (CT) is garnering a lot of attention and research since the last decade. However, CT learning is perceived as a time-consuming and frustrating experience by many K-12 and university students. Hence, educators are coming up with various methodologies to make CT both accessible and engaging for learners, thus leading to a spurt in various game-based learning (GBL) approaches in this field, ranging from board games to educational robotic games. This paper strives to evaluate tabletop escape games as a potential tool to develop CT as a competency among K-12 learners and the assessment of its effectiveness in achieving the learning outcomes. To do this, the authors conducted a literature review of existing papers on tabletop games that use the theme of an escape game to develop and assess CT as a competency. Based on a systematic analysis of the existing literature, they conducted an analytical review of three papers on tabletop games in CT to identify the CT components being developed, the evaluation methods explained in them, the current limitations faced by the authors of these three papers and the possible ways to circumvent such limitations. This paper also covers the design aspects to be considered for the development of a CT-based educational escape game to support and evaluate this competency and its components.