Exploring Gender Differences: The Effect of First-Person vs. Third-Person Gameplay on Computational Thinking in Middle Schoolers Within a Game-Based Learning Environment

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Innovative Pathways to Equity and Engagement: Transforming Learning Across Informal Contexts (Table 9)

Abstract

A significant challenge in developing Computational Thinking (CT) skills is the performance disparity between male and female students. Digital games, widely used to teach CT concepts to K-12 learners, typically adopt a third-person rather than a first-person perspective in character-based gameplay. This study examines the impact of these two perspectives (first-person versus third-person) on CT skill development among middle school students in a game-based learning environment. Fifty-two middle school students were randomly assigned to play either a third-person or first-person version of a block-based CT game. The findings reveal that female students performed significantly better in the first-person version, underscoring the importance of game design considerations that enhance female students' engagement with CT in game-based learning environments.

Author

• Xi Lu, Florida State University