Communications - December 2009

review articles

DOI:10.1145/1610252.1610273

Integrating computer games into existing CS
courses may help attract students to the field,
but there are guidelines to be considered.

the push for presenting abstract CS concepts in the context of familiar real-world applications.

BY KELVIN SUNG
Computer
Games and

Relating abstract principles to real-world experience has become increasingly prominent in mathematics and general science education. For example, the Calculus Reform movement of the 1990s included both pedagogical changes and foci on real-world problems, while the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia has redesigned its freshmen introductory physics course such that:^a

Traditional CS

“As much as possible, the standard introductory physics material will be presented in connection with real-world situations and issues such as home heating, transportation, and electricity generation.”

Courses

In the CS education arena, the Media Computation of Georgia Tech¹⁸is an excellent example where foundational programming concepts are presented in the context of popular digital multimedia applications. This contextualization of computing education¹⁸ is an ongoing effort and interactive computer video games, being one of the most familiar application areas for our students, is a context favored by many CS educators.

SINCE COMPUTING IS
the foundation of modern

society, a proficient computing work force is essential for maintaining the country’s leadership and competitiveness in the global economy. The recent decline in enrollments across computer science (CS) departments and the decrease in student diversity pose significant challenges to the continuation of the nation’s prominent position in the global high-technology arena. The CS education community responded to this challenge with a general critical self-reexamination where the entire traditional CS education system is being evaluated, from the outreach to K–12 education, to the fundamental philosophies behind the curriculum design. One of the emerging results from these developments is

This article presents the USC GamePipe Laboratory effort where the entire CS curriculum is redesigned in the context of game development (Please refer to the USC GamePipe Laboratory effort by Michael Zyda on page 66 where the CS curriculum is designed in the context of game development). This article examines the ongoing efforts to integrate computer video games in existing traditional CS courses. The discussion is divided into introductory programming courses and elective CS courses, and concludes with guidelines for considering integrating computer game content into existing CS classes.