TAPASPlay: A game-based learning approach to foster computation thinking skills

Abstract

In this paper we describe how to use a Game-Based Learning (GBL) approach to help end-user programmers to develop Computational Thinking (CT) skills. CT represents a framework consisting of a set of skills such as: abstraction, decomposition and more in general problem solving expressed in a computational form (algorithmic thinking) that can be easily formalised into a computer program. Those skills are beneficial for end-user programmers in order to model a task for being tackled with computational tools, e.g. spreadsheets, domain specific and visual languages. TAPASPlay is an engaging GBL platform designed to help end-user to learn algorithmic thinking.