compiler integration into computer science learning games

Compiler Integration into Computer Science Learning Games

Amanda [email protected]

Advisor: Dr. Tiffany [email protected]

Chaffin - G2L platform October 29, 2008

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OutlineBackgroundGame2LearnEleMental : The

Recurrence ImplementationThe StudyConclusionFuture Work

MotivationSolutionGame CreationLearning Games GoalHypotheses


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MotivationRising demand for CS majors (Vesco, 2007)

But enrollments are falling! And many enrolled students leave after CS1-2

Why? (Beaubouef, 2005)

Lack of problem solving skills Miscommunication Homework, lecture, code


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SolutionGames for learning computer scienceLess abstract, more familiarProven results –

Students creating games Students learning from games


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Game CreationMineSweeper and Asteroids (Becker, 2001)

University of Calgary

Game Programming in CS1 (Bayliss, 2006)

Rochester Institute of Technology

Capstone Courses (Jones, 2000)

Colby College


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Learning GamesRevolution (Jenkins 2003)

Neverwinter Nights

MUPPETS (Bierre, et al. 2006) TankBrain

Tactical Iraqi (Johnson, et al. 2007)

Marine Corps

Alice (Mullins, 2008)


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GoalTo have students learn computer science

While playing games With maximal skill transfer Without breaking the sense of being in game

In other words, students should write code, if at all, inside the game


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HypothesesStudents who play a learning game where

Students can write and compile code inside the game

Will effectively learn computing conceptsStudents who make a learning game

where other students write code will Learn the coding concepts better Be able to teach the concepts


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OutlineBackgroundGame2Learn (G2L)EleMental : The

RecurrenceImplementationThe StudyConclusionFuture Work

History of G2L Saving Sera The Catacombs Squee StormHaven3 Wu’s Castle

Limitations


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History


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Game2Learn GamesRapid prototyping

Saving Sera The Catacombs Squee! The Tournament Wu’s Castle

What we learned Fun != learning It’s all about the

motivation Design of concept most

important


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LimitationsNeverwinter Nights Limitations

Cannot change the GUI Compiler integration possible but limited to NWN

Script

RPG Maker 2D platform; not modular enough for robust

development Compiler integration might be possible but would be

limited to Ruby


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Designing G2L Games

DarkWynter Code Design

Game Design : Recursion

VideoInterfacesPre/Post Test

Designing G2L Games (Barnes, 2007)

Choose target concept Design code to illustrate conceptGet players to construct target codeMight need to provide scaffolding codeNeed instructions


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DarkWynter Code DesignUsing previous pedagogy, why?

Obvious data structure (tree) Standard algorithm (DFS) Engine supported (real time terrain mods) Scaffolding code


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Game Design – Recursionre·cur·sion (rĭ-kûr'zhən)

–noun Mathematics, Computers

See recursion


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Game Design – con’tDesigned by Wicked Fly GamesUses Depth First Search Walkthroughs

Build bridges Collect thoughts


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Video


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Pre & Post Test

MAIN

getProduct()

getProduct()

getProduct()

1) getProduct(3)

2) getProduct()

3) getProduct()

4) result =

5) result = 2

6) result =

public int getProduct(int num) {

int result;if (num == 1) { result = 1;

} else

{ result = num * getProduct(num - 1); }

return result;}

1.What is the value passed to getProduct() in step 2? Answer = 2

2.What is the value of 'result' at step 6?Answer = 6

1.What is the value passed to getProduct() in step 2?

2. What is the value of 'result' at step 6?


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DarkWynter Engine Modifications Nuclex Game Control Architecture

In-Game Compilation CompilerControls Challenge Objects Event System HUD Redevelopment Custom Game Objects AI Modifications Survey Controller Instructions Control


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XNA Microsoft’s hobbyist game development

platform using C# and .Net Allows development with Visual Studio

Used to develop DarkWynter UNCC’s Game Studio Class (2007)


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DarkWynter ModificationsGoal

Build games that allow for writing and running code within them

DarkWynter allows complete controlModified to allow addition of

Editing window & other forms needed Compiling and running code in the game


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Forms: Nuclex Game ControlOpen source XNA modificationAllows multiple form use in XNA

This is not built in; XNA games run in a single form Controls multiple forms through Forms User Control XNA runs in one form, allowing others to be made

Disconnects code window from game update()Overrides onPaint() and controller methods

http://www.nuclex.org/news/2007/05/14/xna-windows-forms-usercontrol


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In-Game CompilationRuntime compilation with .Net CodeDom

Code Document Object Model Graph (tree) representation of code

CSharpCodeProvider Implements the ICodeCompiler

• Compiles a CodeDom Tree with C# CompilerParameters.GenerateInMemory

• Allows in-game code to run from memory CompilerParameters.ReferencedAssemblies.Add()

• Allows in-game code to access engine

Reference: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304655


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CompilerControls Architecture


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Challenge Objects


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Event SystemCreated by WickedFly Games (Katelyn

Doran, UNCC and Drew Hicks, Marietta College) and modified by DarkWynter

Turned the Engine from a FPS to an RPGLoads from Engine.cs using XMLEvents triggered by changing

CurrentGameConditions

Event System Architecture


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HUD RedevelopmentDarkWynter was a 4-player game

4 Humans each had own HUD Did not have an update()

For G2L Decoupled from Human, coupled with Renderer Changed to Public Static Added an update loop Changed all add methods to return list location Changed all graphics and text


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HUD Updates Con’tRedesigned for Dialogue Events

Update() with a timer that controls the rest ShowDialogue() RemoveDialogue()

Dialogue Events redesigned To accept textures from XML


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Custom Game Objects Thoughts()

Collectible items Models created by Wicked

Fly Games

Arrows() Indicators of location Created by Wicked Fly

Games

WaterPlane() Water plane to keep

students on island Custom built Shader

• Blends two textures

AI ModificationsThoughtAI()

Walk in a straight line algorithm Had problems with

• Rotation• XML position loading• Walk speed


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Survey ControllerIntegrates pre and post test into gameWhat it does –

Creates a new Form Loads data from XML into the Form Validates answers Writes results to a log

Instructions ControlEducational instructions for the student’s

use to guide through code developmentWhat it does –

Creates a new Form Loads the InstructionSet for the Level from

XML into Form Can be used to prevent students from

compiling code until read


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RecurrenceThe StudyConclusionFuture Work

DesignResultsPre and Post TestCompiler ErrorsQualitative

Comparisons


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Pilot Study DesignPilot Study

Current CS 2214 and 2215 students recruited via the professor

Study consists of – Demographic survey & pre-test Play game Post test & survey

Data logged by game and automatically (non secure) FTPed


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Study Results43 total participants

27 took incorrect pretest 16 took valid pre and post test 1 non computing major 1 freshman, 1 sophomore, 10 juniors, 3

seniors, and 1 post Baccalaureate 13 men, 3 women 5 casual gamers, 4 hardcore, 7 neither


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PreTest/PostTest

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Pretest

Posttest


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Pre/Post/Compilation Attempts

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0:01:18 0:03:38 0:05:20 0:05:42 0:06:14 0:08:29 0:08:38 0:10:32 0:11:03 0:11:09 0:12:11 0:12:39

Average Time

PreTest

Posttest

Attempts


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Qualitative Comparisons

Favorite Aspects of EleMental?

In Game Coding18%

Visualization39%

Education24%

Hints12%

Game Play7%

In Game Coding

Visualization

Education

Hints

Game Play

Study Quotes

“The fact that I write my own code to make the game work.”

“Gaming assignments are better because a lot of people enter

computer science wanting to do things like gaming, and are disappointed because all they get to do in the first few assignments is write code to calculate tax on different stuff.”

“I liked the whole experience of walking through the paths and then

typing the code and then doing it again for repetition.”

“Finding C# is very similar to Java.”

Suggested Game Improvements

Add Audio6%

Improve Mini Map24%

More levels & challenges

9%

Improve Instructions24%

Improve Visualizations

8%

Improve Engine29%

Add Audio

Improve Mini Map

More levels & challenges

Improve Instructions

Improve Visualizations

Improve Engine

Traditional Vs. Game Assignments

Neutral5%

Game73%

Traditional20%


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ConclusionWhat we learned

Code concepts Agile development Good code no substitute for proper design! Parsing is HARD!

Limitations Needs Shader 3.0 graphics support Cannot run on laptops

Downloadable through SVN

Future Study Hypothesis – students who play EleMental: The

Recurrence with access to the in game compiler will show significantly higher learning gains than a comparison group that plays without the compiler. Crossover study –

• Half play the game with compiler

• Half play without

• Swap


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Future Engine Work Level Creation currently at 5 hours for 2 people Database Address Engine Concerns

Direction Indicators Reconnect XP to HUD Bug Fixes

Expansions into other data structures Heaps Lists Stacks


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Thank You!

Amanda Chaffin & Dr. Tiffany Barnes

[email protected]

unc Charlotte

This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation GrantsNo. CNS-0552631 and CNS-0540523, IIS-0757521, and the UNC Charlotte Diversity in Information Technology Institute.


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Works Cited1. Barnes, T., A. Chaffin, E. Powell, H.Lipford. Improving the motivation of CS1 students

through games for learning. Submitted to the Journal of Game Development. Boston, MA. January 2008.

2. Barnes, T., H. Richter, A. Chaffin, A. Godwin, E. Powell. (2007). Game2Learn: Building CS1 Learning Games for Retention. ITiCSE2007: 121-125

3. Barnes, T., H. Richter, A. Chaffin, A. Godwin, E. Powell, T. Ralph, P. Matthews, and H. Jordan. (2006). Game2Learn: A study of games as tools for learning introductory programming. Submitted to SIGCSE2007, Kentucky, USA, March 2006.

4. Barnes, T., H. Richter, A. Chaffin, A. Godwin, E. Powell. (2006). The role of feedback in Game2Learn. Submitted to CHI2007, San Jose, CA, April 2006.

5. Vegso, J. Continued Drop in CS Bachelor's Degree Production and Enrollments as the Number of New Majors Stabilizes. Computing Research News, Vol. 19, No. 2, March 2007.

6. Beaubouef, T., & Mason, J, 2005. Why the high attrition rate for computer science students: Some thoughts and observations. ACM SIGCSE Inroads Bulletin, 37(2), 2005, 103-106.

7. Becker, Katrin. Teaching with games: the Minesweeper and Asteroids experience, Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, v.17 n.2, p.23-33, December 2001.

8. Bayliss, Jessica D and Sean Strout, Games as a "flavor" of CS1, Proceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, March 03-05, 2006, Houston, Texas, USA

Works Cited Con’t1. Jones, Randolph M. "Design and Implementation of Computer Games: A Capstone Course for

Undergraduate Computer Science Education", Proceedings of the 31st SIGSCE Symposium in Computer Science Education, March 2000, Austin, TX. p260-264

2. Ian Parberry , Timothy Roden , Max B. Kazemzadeh, Experience with an industry-driven capstone course on game programming: extended abstract, Proceedings of the 36th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 23-27, 2005, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

3. Jenkins, Henry, Eric Klopfer, Kurt Squire, and Philip Tan. "Entering the Education Arcade." Source Computers in Entertainment, Volume 1, Issue 1. (October 2003): 17-17. August 27, 2006.

4. Bierre, K., Venture, P., Phelps, A. & Egert, C. (2006). Motivating OOP by blowing things up: An exercise in cooperation and competition in an introductory javaprogramming course. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Proceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education SIGCSE '06, 38(1).

5. Losh, Elizabeth. "In Country with Tactical Iraqi: Trust, Identity, and Language Learning in a Military Video Game." Virtualpolitik. 2006. August 3, 2006. http://virtualpolitik.org/DAC2005.pdf

6. Mullins, P, Whitfield, D., and Conlon, M. 2008. Using Alice 2.0 as a First Language. To appear in CCSC 24th Annual Eastern Conference 2008 (Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, October 10 and 11, 2008).

7. Eagle, M. Barnes T. (2008) Wu’s Castle: Teaching Arrays and Loops in a Game. Proceedings of ACM’s Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2008), Madrid, Spain, June 30 –July 2, 2008

8. Johnson, W. L., Wang, N., and S. Wu, "Experience with serious games for learning foreign languages and cultures," in SimTecT Conference., Australia, 2007.

Challenge Objects Code

Events : XML SettingsEach Event has

TypeID Parameters Triggers

DarkWynter Architecture


Controller

MenuController

GameController

AI/LogicController

// Associate Keys with Delegate functions, using keytimer to control input refresh rate.public GameController( int playerNumber): base(playerNumber){ Add(new KeyboardControl (Keys.W, MoveForward, 10)); Add(new MouseControl (Enums_Engine .ControlType.Motion, Rotate, 0));}

private void MoveForward( ControllerBoolEventArgs args){ args.objectLibrary.humans[playerNumber].Translate( new Vector2(0, 10));}private void Rotate(ControllerVec2EventArgs args){ args.objectLibrary.humans[playerNumber].Rotate(args.value);}

Logical Controllers

Keyboard Control

Mouse Control

Xbox Analog Control

Xbox Digital Control

Hardware Controls

Add call associates Keys with Delegate functions.Any combination of Hardware Controls can be included in a Logical Controller.

DarkWynter ArchitectureMenu System

Engine

MenuSystem

GameScreen GameMenuElement

GameMenuButton

GameMenuLabel

GameMenuValueInput

GameMenuRandomImageDisplay

GameMenuImageScroller

GameMenuOption

GameOverScreen

PauseScreen

SorryScreen

OpeningCreditsScreen

LoadingScreenGameSetup

TitleScreen

InstructionScreen

Cera1

Cera2

Cera3

Cera4

Cera5

GameMenu GameMenuController

Can Have

Handles Current GameMenu'sLoad, Update, and Draw


G am e O bjects

G am e O bjectM eta representation of an object in 3D space.

G am eO bject d lls are loaded into the engine abstractly.O verridable default procedures a llow rapid deploym ent and custom ization.

O bject L ibraryM ainta ins type specific lis ts of a ll G am eO bjects.

Regulates the G am eO bject's Load and Update functions.

PlayerTerra in

Load()

Porta l

A rrow

Bom b

C oin

Skysphere

W aterP lane

TriggerP laneLandscape

G PU O bjects

Prop

BulletPartic le

B illboard

Update()

Draw ()

PostDraw ()

ObjectTerrainCollisionResponse()

ObjectObjectCollisionResponse()

XmlNodeObject

MassObject

DrawObject

CollisionEvent-based response to

O bject and Terra in co llis ions.

RenderRegulates G am eO bject D raw

and Postdraw ca lls

Exam ple

G am eO bjectVirtua l Functions

DarkWynter ArchitectureHeads Up Display

Engine Heads Up Display ObjectLibrary

HumanGameEventHandler

HUDMapEvent

StackEventDialogueEvent

Initialize&

Update

Create and UpdateHuman Specific Objects

Draw

Manages Scripted Hud Events

Engine initializes and drives HUD updates through static accessors. Human creates HUD and updates it's own elements. GameEventHandler initializes and handles updates for scripted HUD Events, Scripted events attach to player through object collision response functions (see EventSystem).

DarkWynter ArchitectureEvent System

GameEventHandler

GameEvent

EventConditions

DialogueEvent

TerrainEvent

HUDMapEvent

AIEvent

LevelChangeEvent

StackEvent

Loaded from Xml

Game-Event Types

Events are triggered by modifying the public static CurrentGameConditions .

Updating CGC conditions auto-checks potential matches between CGC and the Xml-defined GameEvents..(aka - Static Board Evaluation)

The Event System fires matched events, then removes them from the list.

Updates the HUD with the new dialog

Sets the new position for the AI to go to

Builds the terrain between a predetermined set of points

Builds the stack on the HUD based on Player.mass.CurrentPosition

Updates the location map on HUD to reflect Nodes traveledDrops events and reloads level

CurrentGameConditions

Set by Runtime

<-- Comparison -->

DarkWynter ArchitectureRenderer

Engine

Render

Draw

ObjectLibrary

GameObject

Attach Delegates to ObjectLibrary.Update Graphics Device Settings.

Execute Draw Sequence

Calls order-dependent Draw delegates.Return all GameObjects drawn in the current frame.

Independent draw component

Renderer manages graphics device setup and shutdown operations for Engine through delegates, allowing Engine to manage the internal draw order of the following order-dependent categories.

Object Library - GameObjects or 3D World-space objectsSprites - Billboards or 2D World-space objectsHeads Up Display - 2D Screen-space objects

DarkWynter ArchitectureCompiler and Challenges

CompilerControl

Engine

XML

ChallengeAbstract

Challenge0

Challenge1

Challenge2

Challenge3

Public static accessorsused to control

Engine mechanicsfrom Application.

CSharpCompiler

Compile andreturn Results

The CompilerControl loads the Challenges from XML. Compilation is triggered by user button-click, which sends the student code to the CSharpCompiler. The CSharpCompiler compiles the code in memory (though it canbe compiled to an exe or a dll) and returns the CompilerResults to the CompilerControl,

Running the compiled code is also triggered by user button-click which calls the CS harpCompiler.execute() function, invoking the code in memory.

Aside from compilation, Challenges may verify student code through parsing (it will not run unless the code matches the parsing) allowing validation of code-style before triggering the first set of Events.


UCAD

Main

GameControl

Bottom

Default and User-Defined Control Toolkit

Left

CompilerControl

Right

LevelEditor

Instructions || Levels || Tools || Get Involved...

compiler integration into computer science learning games

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