International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract

In recent years, many students have faced difficulties learning programming due to the complexity of their chosen language syntax or a lack of well-developed programming logic, posing challenges for the implementation of interactive computational tools to support this learning process. Therefore, this study proposes the development of an interactive Bot command simulation game designed to teach fundamental computational thinking concepts, such as modularity and control structures, using visual tiles with real-time feedback. This tool aims to help students solve challenges of varying difficulty by developing algorithmic strategies in a gamified and engaging environment. To evaluate its effectiveness, a quasi-experimental study was conducted with 44 high school students from two classes. A pre-test was administered to measure their initial knowledge level, followed by a post-test after a hands-on workshop in which students used the proposed game to solve increasingly complex challenges in four programming domains: Sequential logic, functions, loops, and conditionals. The proposed game had a positive effect on the development of computational thinking skills, as demonstrated by the statistical analysis, which shows significant improvements in the experimental group across all components, with average scores increasing from 7.64 to 12.41. These findings confirm that interactive, game-based simulations can significantly improve programming instruction and foster computational thinking more effectively than conventional approaches.