Gender Equality in Computer Science: Video Games as Preparation for Future Learning

Abstract

When inviting learners to try – and fail – solving difficult problems prior to teaching a concept, they can achieve better conceptual understanding and transfer of knowledge compared to more traditional instructional settings. In the current educational settings, exercises are often coupled with high stakes and failure is generally to be avoided. Creating an instructional context where failure is encouraged would allow learners to reap the benefits of trial and error while getting acquainted with the learning material.

Gaming is an activity where failure is an accepted and expected outcome, and often combined with low stakes, frequent save points and the ability to restart on a whim. Research has further shown games to afford fostering high engagement through their interactive nature, and designing games for education is supported by the fact that games offer built in support for instructional phases or tutorials.

Computers and video games are perceived as a typically male hobby, and in turn the video game industry mainly targets a young male audience, making computers appealing to men. Computer science is of ever-growing relevance, and computing is pervasive in most industries. The problems and applications at its core are very diverse. In contrast, there is a lack of diversity in computer science in academia as well as the industry, with a majority of people being male. This evolved into a circular problem, with men typically obtaining positions in computer science and the implicit societal bias enabling men to develop a sense of belonging in the field.

This thesis will elaborate on the development process of a novel game design for an educational context, with an emphasis on making Computer Science accessible for novices and especially for girls aged 14-16.

In addition to that, a study was conducted on the proposed design, with largely inconclusive results due to a small sample size.