This project aims to apply gamification-as-pedagogy in design and development of an approach to introductory computer science (CS) courses in Python for High School students. The outcome, this persistent, immersive digital environment provides both a playground and persistent digital world, themed several different ways to provide an analog to classic multi-user dungeons (MUDs) and contemporary massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). This project leverages interdisciplinary principles and considers students as co-developers to explore applications of teaching strategies not necessarily limited to the discipline of computer science.
This work has generously been funded by the Reboot Fundraiser organized by the Allegheny College Computer and Information Science Technical Advisory Board (TAB).
Project term-world, which this work draws knowledge and inspiration from was funded by:
Allegheny College Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (URSCA) office, namely through the following Allegheny College internal funding sources:
- McCune Dean’s Fund for Student and Faculty Research fund
- Louis Jefferson Long Student/Faculty Research fund
- Richard J. Cook & Teresa M. Lahti Endowment for Research and Creative Activity fund
We are grateful for their support of this project.
This work is intellectually indebted to Donald Bitzer's creation of PLATO, which we learned about by way of Brian Dear's compelling, well-researched account of that system, The Friendly Orange Glow.