| The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computer game-based instruction on adult students' programming achievement. This quasi-experiment proceeded in 2007. Participants were 146 technology college management information system students enrolled in a Visual Basic programming class. Students in four intact classes were assigned one of two instructional methods and received a ten-week treatment. Experiment groups were taught by computer game-based instruction; the control group received traditional programming instruction. Motivation, creativity, problem-solving questionnaires and programming tests were administered in the first and the tenth weeks to evaluate how instructional methods affected each of these in relation to programming achievement. Demographic and computer experience survey data gathered in the first class became independent variables. Data were analyzed with ANCOVA and step-down multiple regression. Statistically significance was set at p < .05.;The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that the computer game-based group significantly outperformed the traditional group in motivation, problem-solving ability and programming achievement. Step-down multiple regression revealed that for the experimental group, pretest programming scores and demographic data (gender, hours spent on computer games, motivation change, problem-solving ability change) were positively related to programming achievement change. Conversely, compared to older adulthood, middle adulthood related negatively to programming achievement.;The results revealed that computer-game based instruction has a great potential in facilitating student's problem-solving ability and improving programming achievement. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of developmentally appropriate computer game-based instruction on achievement in the technology college Windows Programming classes. |
