decodeR: Gameful Activities for Introductory Programming

Abstract

Gamification—integrating game elements (e.g., badges, levels, leaderboards) to trigger extrinsic motivation—has been lauded for increasing student engagement and motivation. While gamification may create a more engaging educational environment, the use of game related mechanics fosters a competitive system where students compete for the top “prize.” Alternatively, gameful learning—incorporating game characteristics into learning activities—promote greater intrinsic motivation. These gameful activities create an environment where students expend serious effort, act creatively, take risks, and collaborate. In this session, we will present a set of gameful activities for a variety of topics in an R-focused introductory programming course—activities which we have found to promote greater student engagement and learning. We will share our initial repository of materials with attendees, containing materials for both students and teachers, and will invite others to contribute their own activities!