Can Game Elements Make Computer Science Courses More Attractive?

Having to compete harder than ever for students' attention against cool social media sites, mobile apps, video games, messaging, etc., instructors are struggling to find new ways to motivate and engage learners. Gamification offers a promising framework for educational interventions that can increase students' motivation and engagement. This BOF will bring together instructors who have already explored the use of various game driven strategies and elements to increase the motivation of their students and also those who are looking for promising interventions to do that. The facilitators conducted a similar BOF at SIGCSE 2018, which was well attended, well received and sparked an interesting and lively discussion. This BOF will continue the conversation on what might be useful ways of incorporating game elements in Computer Science courses, what tools might be needed to support such efforts, how can the student experience of gamified learning be personalized, etc. Two NSF sponsored projects related to the use of gamification in STEM courses will seed the discussion. We hope to collectively contribute to the ongoing important discussion on successful strategies for applying of gamification in Computer Science education.