Improving Student Study Choices in CS1 with Gamification and Flipped Classrooms

Recent research has explored flipped classrooms, lightweight teams, and gamification to improve the CS1 student learning and social experience. In this paper, we expand upon this research by implementing a flipped classroom with team-based gamification of student study choices. We designed and implemented a Moodle plugin for gamification to reward students for practicing "good" study habits, such as turning in assignments early and re-taking quizzes for extra practice. To evaluate our approach, we analyzed data collected from three consecutive semesters of CS1: one semester without gamification, one with gamification, and one with gamification tied to a small grade incentive. Based on log data from our plugin and student survey responses, we found students did make better study choices, including submitting programming assignments and online quizzes significantly earlier; however, these improved study choices did not lead to higher final exam scores. Overall, students enjoyed and were motivated to improve their study habits due to our flipped, team-based, gamified CS1 course.