Teaching of Web Design and Programming as a Role-Playing Team Building Game

Abstract

The paper examines a form of training whose aim is to teach technologies for designing and styling responsive web page views and implementing web site events by students in an academic environment. In this form of training a role-play, taken by the practice of a software company is simulated. Data collection and evaluation of the results was carried out through qualitative methods of participant observation, survey, interview, and quantitative comparative analysis. The article analyzes in details the role-playing games, training content, stages of implementation and other aspects of the organization of experimental form of training in Web Design and Web Programming. Teaching, as a simulated role-playing game, is performed during six school hours, in two consecutive weeks and consists of four stages. In the role play, students apply knowledge and teamwork skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery etc. Each team is made up of five students with roles of manager, web designer, graphics designer, web stylist and web developer. The teams’ organization is based on work products adaptation of the Rational Unified Process Methodology. The end product of the role-playing game is the development of a website by the team, while its final result for the learning process is the knowledge and skills acquired during formal training by the teacher, and the informal training that took place between the students during their teamwork.