Middle School Students’ Computational Problem-Solving Behaviors In A Game-Based Environment

The study used a data fusion approach to investigate three middle school learners’ computational problem-solving behaviors in the Zoombinis computational thinking game, Pizza Pass. A Hidden Markov Model HMM was firstly used to uncover students’ different computational problem-solving phases and the likelihood of transitioning between these phases. Then, a qualitative thematic analysis of students’ gameplay videos was employed to synthesize computational problem-solving behaviors. Findings revealed that students’ computational problem-solving behaviors included three phases e.g., Trial-and-Error, Systematic Testing and transitions between them. This study contributes to our understanding of using varied data sources to study students’ computational problem-solving processes. It also has instructional implications, such as the need for additional scaffolding within game-based CT environments.