Achievement and Effort in Acquiring Computational Thinking Concepts: A log-based Analysis in a Game-based Learning Environment

Abstract

Numerous attempts have been made to apply coding games in computational thinking (CT) education, and using log data to explore CT learning is an emerging field. This paper explored the acquirement of CT concepts (sequences, loops, and conditionals) by primary and secondary school students who used a digital coding game called Coding Galaxy. It aims to investigate (1) whether secondary school students outperform primary school students, and (2) whether playing easy game missions is a scaffold for completing hard missions. Participants (N=188) were sampled from local schools in Hong Kong. Students were divided into three groups (A, B, C). Primary school students constituted Group A and B, while Group C consisted of secondary school students. Group A was assigned with only hard missions while easy missions were locked, whereas Group B and C were given access to both easy and hard missions. Data were extracted from students’ log files, and 6599 records were analyzed using learning analytics techniques. Students’ performance was evaluated based on game achievements and the effort they made to get the achievement. The results indicate that (1) students performed best in sequences, followed by loops and conditionals; (2) While secondary students shared the same pattern with primary students regarding the difficulty of acquiring CT concepts, secondary students performed better; and (3) While Group A shared similar game achievements with Group B, Group B made less effort in getting the achievements, indicating that easy missions can scaffold hard missions. The implications of the findings to various educational stakeholders are discussed.