Computational thinking development and assessment through tabletop escape games

• Main Authors: Divya Menon, Thierry Viéville, Margarida Romero
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serious Games Society 2019-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Serious Games
• Subjects: Game-based learning, escape games, board games, tabletop games, computational thinking, competency assessment
• Online Access: http://journal.seriousgamessociety.org/index.php/IJSG/article/view/319

The development and assessment of computational thinking (CT) is garnering a lot of attention and research since the last decade. However, the learning of CT 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 existing escape games aiming to develop CT based on their systematic analysis according to the CT competency components. The authors conducted an analytical review of three tabletop escape games in CT to identify CT components and subcomponents developed through these games. The use of tabletop escape games from a pedagogical perspective to develop CT among learners is discussed based on the results of the analysis to identify their current limits. This 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.