Date of Award

5-29-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2025

Department

Computer Science and Engineering

First Advisor

Sean Choi

Abstract

This thesis addresses the growth of Computer Science and the increasing demand for resources that educate people about programming. The central problem is that existing resources either fall short in engaging the user, or are ineffective at communicating the basics of programming. Through a year of development and testing, we developed an application to serve as a bridge between games and educational content, making programming skills fun and accessible for younger students with no prior experience.

This thesis details the development of Codelympics, an educational game designed to teach the basics of computer programming, including control flow, functions, variables, and problem-solving skills. Codelympics prepares aspiring programmers for real-world coding environments, through open-ended problems that challenge users and promote creative thinking. Codelympics is developed with the theme of sport-based minigames, designed to mirror programming concepts and make them engaging for younger students.

Results from both alpha and beta testing show that video games can be an effective medium for teaching students programming. Results revealed an increase in knowledge about control flow and logic after completing both minigames. Additional feedback revolved around patching potential bugs in the game. Future work includes the development of additional minigames, improved visual and auditory assets, and introducing new topics such as arrays, objects, classes, and other object-oriented programming concepts.

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