Xiphias: A Competitive Classroom Control System toFacilitate the Gamification of Academic Evaluation of

Novice C++ Programmers ∗

Jenilyn L. AgapitoDepartment of Computer

ScienceAteneo de Naga University

jen.agapito@gmail.com

Joshua C. MartinezDepartment of Computer

ScienceAteneo de Naga University

joshuamartinez1978@gmail.com

Jonathan DL. CasanoDepartment of Computer

ScienceAteneo de Naga University

jonathancasano@gmail.com

ABSTRACTThe emergence of technology has evidently changed the wayhumans think of the world and has influenced everyday dy-namics in more ways than one. Recent generations, morepopularly referred to as the Millennial and/or Games Gener-ation, have been exposed early on to advancements previousgenerations have only dreamed of having. Being exposed toa modernized environment, it is relevant to consider thatthese kids think and learn differently than those from cen-turies in the past. And a subset of such generation are stu-dents taking up courses in computer science.

Computer programming is a skill, among others, requiredof anyone whose interest is in the field of computer scienceand information technology. Over the years, learning and ac-quiring programming mastery has posed to be one challeng-ing venture both for students and their instructors. Findingeffective methods of delivering programming instruction tohelp better student performance has been a huge area of in-terest for researchers and instructors alike.

With the emergence of the use of technology in classroominstruction and with the recognition that today’s kids learndifferently than those in the past, this paper discusses the ex-ploration of gamifying the classroom setting, specifically theevaluation of students’ programming deliverable in noviceprogramming classes to enhance engagement and learning.

Categories and Subject DescriptorsK.9 [Applied Computing]: Education—Computer-AssistedInstruction; K.9 [Applied Computing]: Education—In-teractive Learning Environments

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General TermsTheory

KeywordsGamification, Education

1. INTRODUCTIONThe current generation of young people, dubbed as the

Millennials, interacts so differently with the world than thegenerations that came before [15]. The change in behaviorhas been highly impacted by the constant exposure to digitalmedia and technologies which are fully integrated aspects oftheir lives. Many of them belonging to this group of newbreeds have been adopting the use of these technologies toreinvent social living, communication, and learning causingtheir divergent perspective on the dynamics and operationsof the world [12].

Having been raised in the digital wave of portable digitaldevices and social networking sites, the Millenial anticipatethe educational system to be interactive in which they playthe part of active learners rather than just passive receiversof information [1]. They become more engaged and moti-vated if they are provided with genuinely interactive andimmersive learning environments instead of purely lecturingthe concepts. They regard the inclusion of multimedia tech-nologies in class meetings and have developed a desire forconnection and team interdependence [16].

Inexorably, the growth of the Millennial has implicationsto those in the sphere of education. A big challenge is toreinvent the educational system so as to move along withthe changes in behavior and perspective of the kids of to-day. Not being able to provide them with a system at parwith their mental model of education and learning is a riskthat may lead to the loss of their interest, engagement, en-thusiasm, and motivation [16, 15, 2, 5].

Traditional teaching methodologies may not address thelearning preferences of the Millennial student [1]. Instruc-tion used ages ago does not seem to effectively facilitatelearning considering the change hardwired to todayaAZskids.

In a classic face-to-face instruction, students are constricted

in a room with a teacher feeding them with concepts andinformation. Evaluation on the retention of these conceptsare normally done by giving quizzes and examinations. Thissetup, however, makes students passive learners rather thanactive participants in the teacher-student learning processwhich basically contradicts their social and participatory na-ture.

In light of building new teaching methodologies to addressthe needs of the young generation, an approach to instruc-tion reinvention dubbed as gamification has become popu-lar. Gamification is defined as adding game-like elementsand mechanics to a learning process [6].

This study is geared towards the exploration of the ef-fectiveness of reconstructing the classroom setting throughgamification of introductory programming classes to encour-age student engagement and learning. Presented in this pa-per is a developed system called Xiphias to facilitate thegamification of academic evaluation of novice C++ program-mers.

2. CONTEXT OF THE STUDYStudents pursuing a degree in the area of computer science

and information technology normally take introductory pro-gramming classes in which they are being trained to acquirefundamental programming skills that serve as the founda-tion for future careers in the same field. However, learningprogramming has been a universal challenge for beginningstudents. Students commonly complain about difficulties inlearning, let alone passing the said course. On the otherhand, teaching programming and encouraging motivationin novice programmers has likewise continued to become achallenge to the academic community [13].

A typical programming class setup has been rooted inthe traditional face-to-face instruction whereby instructorsdeliver the concepts to their students. After which comeslearning evaluation in the form of various assessment instru-ments such as hands-on programming exercises, quizzes andexams that may either be objective or application-based.These requirements are normally submitted to their instruc-tors for checking and are graded based on a scoring criteriathat may vary.

However, over the years, there has been a noticeable dropin the number of students who willfully stay and continuesaid courses. Fenwick et al believe that students who arelikely to stay in computer science or related fields are thosewho succeed in their first programming subject [9]. Recog-nizing the rewiring of the beliefs and principles of the Millen-nial, the conduct and environment of instruction contributesto the success of a learner.

It has been a continued effort amongst instructors to de-vise teaching methodologies and reconstruct classroom envi-ronments to further student motivation and learning. Thisstudy aims to contribute to the innovation of classroom in-struction, particularly in programming subjects, to addressthe needs of the kind of generation the academic communitycaters today. This study intends to explore the effectivenessof gamifying evaluation in increasing students’ motivation

and engagement in learning programming through a gami-fied academic evaluation system facilitate by Xiphias.

3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVEThis study aims to propose a gamified method of evalu-

ation in introductory programming classes to enhance stu-dent’s motivation and engagement in learning the funda-mental programming skills they would need in the future.A system called Xiphias was developed which is essentiallya competitive classroom control system used in facilitatingthe gamification of classroom evaluation. Game elementsadopted in the development of the system are further dis-cussed in the succeeding sections.

4. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREAn area of utmost interest for learning instructors and

professionals is the search for more engaging designs of class-room instruction. Among the models that which have beenutilized in providing varying learning framework is that ofgames [10].

Games are highly appealing to humans because they ful-fill their need for social involvement and belongingness [8].They entice engagement from players because the workingenvironment provides immediate feedback and direct con-sequences of actions. Games enable players an avenue forlearning from failure and dispenses a feeling that these couldhelp them succeed in the future [15]. Games take advantageof the competitive instinct of players to keep them in focusand cultivate productive behavior over unproductive ones[6].

Gamification, which is the addition of these game-like con-cepts or elements to non-game contexts, has become a prac-ticed technique in several domains including education. Re-searchers suggest designing classroom setting in such a waythat students would feel more like they are playing a game,which is to make activities more participatory, more immer-sive, and more fun [3, 15].

Recent studies on the application of gamification in theclassroom setting suggest positive effects of the said method.

A gamified approach serves as a tool that is able to addressthe student’s need for fun, pleasure, as well as connection[11]. It taps directly into a human’s fundamental desire forrecognition, reward, status, competition, collaboration, andself-expression [7].

It can likewise be used as a method to help at-risk studentssucceed. A Mathematics instructor recognized the failure oflecturing in class and noted its ineffectiveness in terms ofpressing learning to students. A reconstruction to classroomconduct by considering subject topics as ”levels” studentswould have to pass in order to ”level-up”was incorporated inthe teaching methodology. Leveling is a game concept thatmakes games appealing to the young students because theyare fond of the reward feedback they get from it . Othergame elements used were reward points for completing amastery test and the provision of an avatar that evolves asthe students level-up. With these elements, students exhib-ited impressive improvement in the said Mathematics class

[17].Gamification in education can empower students includ-

ing the weaker ones. Reward systems designed to acknowl-edge and highlight desired behaviors can encourage morestudents the adoption of said behavior. Badge systems makeroom for students to create passion paths unique to one’sown. It likewise strengthens one’s support group whichagain satisfies their need for socialization and connection.Allowing the weaker students to re-attempt failed work im-poses a wider avenue for learning, improvement, and self-actualization [14].

Also, taking into consideration that by nature, humansenjoy play and has the innate nature for competition, anyactivity involving fun will automatically indulge users intoengagement and focus. This may be used as a fundamentalconcept in designing learning environments including thatof programming classes. A study was done that proposeda game design methodology with two parts – lecture deliv-ery and evaluation [13]. Concepts were considered as gamestages each composed of several levels that students can play.Course content is included in each level and should be un-derstood by the learner. Second part is evaluation whichmay be done after every stage or at the conclusion of thegame.

Xiphias anchors its goal on the provision of a gamifiedclassroom evaluation tool that can be used in the program-ming setting. It seeks to provide novice programmers thefun experience of learning and practicing programming byperforming programming activities via ”mini competitions”.Likewise, it aims to encourage engagement and motivationso as to improve learning and to better academic perfor-mance.

5. GAME ELEMENTSIN THE XIPHIAS DESIGN

Teachers handling programming classes have constantlybeen challenged by the preparation of instruction method-ologies that could motivate and increase the engagement ofstudents. As observed by instructors handling the introduc-tory subjects in our University, the traditional classroomsetup appear to not provide the students with the learningexperience they are expecting. Thus, leading to lack of moti-vation and eventually, poor performance in class. This studywas conducted to provide a way to address this concern.

The development of Xiphias is primarily rooted on theacknowledgment of the fundamental nature of humans associal, competitive beings; the change inflicted by the digi-tal wave on contemporary learners; and the role technologycould play in the enhancement of the educational system.It is substantially characterized by competitions which aremarked by players who can outperform their opponents butnot attack them to interfere with their performance [4].

Discussed in this section are the various game elementsadopted in the design of the Xiphias system as.

5.1 Achievements and RewardsAchievements are any virtual or physical representation

of having accomplished something [4]. Chris Crawford’sachievement and rewards model encourages that these bemade ”public”, in that all other players taking part in thegame has a way to view a particular player’s record of achieve-

ments. This makes for setup where a player knows where hestands in the scheme of things (rankings, status, categories).It gives players definition; an idea of how well they’re doingand what exactly must be done to go up in ranks. If player Ahas one medal earned, and player B has two medals earned,it is clear that in the game, player B is greater in rank thanplayer A.

In the design of the Xiphias system, players may earnvirtual rewards called badges in recognition of satisfyinga particular performance quota specified by an instructor.Figure 1 shows a row in a public student record containingstudent (player) nicknames and achievements. The achieve-ment badges come with an explanation articulating why theplayer earned such reward.

Figure 1: A record showing a student’s nicknameand the badges incurred from performance in eval-uations

5.2 OwnershipOwnership is a powerful game dynamic that allows a player

to immerse in the illusion of owning a space, or tool in thegame which he could use to gain achievements. A concreteimplementation would be giving players unique accounts -a login username and a login password. Accounts are bothspace and tool.

A space dedicated to the player alone i.e. a player’s user-name can oftentimes be found displayed in a system inter-face once login is successful, and there aren’t any other user-names but the player’s own. It is likewise a tool to gain rank,since it functions as a container of achievements i.e. playerA’s account has 7 badges.

In the Xiphias system, students are given login creden-tials, usernames and passwords they use to enter the Xiphiascompetition interface. Figures 2 and 3 show the login andcompetition interfaces that allow players to send submissionsto quizzes and examination questions.

In addition, during evaluation, a scoreboard is projectedon a screen viewable by all players in the class. the score-board essentially contains rows bearing the player’s name(nickname) and additional cells to the right of it. Thesecells are representative of how many problems the playersare expected to solve. Hence, the cells where the problemnames and player nicknames meet, are considered to be cellsowned by the player. The player may be able to turn thesecells green if a correct submission has been made, or red

Figure 2: The player competition interface

Figure 3: The Xiphias log-in interface

if an incorrect submission has been made. Figure shows atypical Xiphias scoreboard showing the top five ranks in aconcluded Xiphias quiz.

Figure 4: A sample Xiphias Scoreboard after a con-cluded quiz

5.3 FeedbackFeedback is a game element that transmits evaluative or

corrective information about an action, event, or process.Students participating in a Xiphias-facilitated activity use

the player accounts given to them to forward submissionsto a pool of submissions viewable by a teacher account.The teacher account has the function of determining whichamong the entries in the pool of submissions is correct orincorrect. Once a submission is determined to be correct,the cell in the Xiphias scoreboard representing the player’ssubmission to a particular problem turns green. Otherwise,

it turns red.

Figure 5: The Xiphias Scoreboard showing the dis-plays for correct and incorrect attempts

5.4 CreditsCredits pertain to the number of chances a player is al-

lowed to reach a certain objective. These can take the formof lives (Super Mario Bros), health (Skyrim) and attempts(Pacman).

Xiphias was designed in such a way that players are grantedan unlimited number of attempts spanning across a limitedtime frame, i.e. when a player submits an incorrect solu-tion to a problem, the player is endowed the privilege toresubmit until a submission is evaluated to be correct. Thisprivilege is only available during the time frame of the classand therefore will also end together with the evaluation ses-sion. The cells in the Xiphias scoreboard contains a number(initially zero) representing the number of attempts the stu-dent made in trying to solve/ solving a particular problemwhich increment as the player submits an attempt.

Figure 6: The Xiphias submission pool interfaceviewable by the instructor

5.5 CountdownA game dynamic in which players are only given a certain

amount of time to do functions in the game. This createsan activity graph that causes increased initial activity whichincreases frenetically until time runs out.

Submissions to the Xiphias system are allowed and willoccur only during the particular session the evaluation is ad-ministered. After the competition timer expires, incoming

submissions will be entertained and processed. The count-down dynamic is also used to aid in determining corner caserankings further discussed in the next subsection.

5.6 StatusStatus pertains to the rank or level of a player. Players

are often motivated by trying to reach a higher level or sta-tus. Badges and points are often used to represent talents,expertise, and accomplishments of players.

A dedicated Xiphias scoreboard taps to address this gameelement. It is displayed to let students know how theyrank against all players in the class. Rankings are enforcedper evaluation making the chance of achieving higher statuscyclical, i.e. each quiz is a chance to get into the higherranks. Currently, Xiphias enforces a simple rule in rankingplayers. (1) The more problems solved, the higher the rankof a player. (2) If a tie occurs, ranking is broken down towho was able to solve the problems faster - countdown dy-namic. Figure shows that along with the number to indicatethe attempts made by the student is a time stamp markingwhen a correct submission was made, i.e. ”19 mins” meansa player was able to solve a problem 19 minutes after thestart of the competition.

All the above-mentioned game elements as incorporatedin the interfaces presented constitute the core of the XiphiasSystem.

6. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND ANDSYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

The Xiphias system is a web application that is hostedand ran on the department’s central Linux server 2.6.34.7-61.fc13.x8664, Fedora release 13 - Goddard. It follows thefamiliar Apache-MySQL-PHP framework.

Students/players access their accounts and participate inthe evaluations via the use of client computers located in theschool laboratories. In essence, any computer with internetconnectivity could be used to participate in the Xiphias Sys-tem.

Instructors may also access their accounts using clientcomputers. A dedicated page is reserved for instructors tocollect submissions and issue verdict.

The public scoreboard is yet another dedicated page thatcould be accessed and projected onto a screen using a clientcomputer as well.

With these, the Xiphias system fits the basic Client-ServerModel.

Figure 7: A diagram presenting the System Archi-tecture of the Xiphias System

7. INITIAL IMPLEMENTATIONThe Xiphias system started its formal implemention dur-

ing the first semester of the Academic Year 2104 - 2015(June). The researchers chose the pool of freshmen BS-ITstudents taking up Computer Programming 1 (ICST102) assubjects for the study, ending up with a total of 4 blocksincluded in the first wave of Xiphias participants. The sec-tions are conveniently named ZT11, ZT12, ZT13 and ZT14.Figure shows insignias used to represent the blocks

Figure 8: Figure showing the insignias of the differ-ent blocks included in the Xiphias System

Each block is then subdivided into five teams, or ”houses”.Figure shows the different houses present in each block.This encourages two levels of communion, communion withthe class (ZT11, ZT12, ZT13, ZT14) and communion withthe house members inside each class (Ampersand, Ternary,Squiggly, Scope, Modulus).

House leaders are elected to lead each house. The housesare encouraged to find a ”mentor”, or an upperclass studentwho is available to help them i.e. tutor them during vacantperiods etc.

Scores of the houses are summed up to create the rankingof houses within the class. Total scores of all houses in aclass are also summed up to create the ranking of classes.

As reward, houses who top their respective classes receivebonuses from the instructors and the students belonging tothe class that tops the class rankings receive the ICST102Turing Badge.

8. INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

8.1 Student Behavior During EvaluationsTeachers observed behaviours of students as they partic-

ipate in Xiphias- facilitated activities to provide them withinitial and coarsely-grained evaluation on the effectivenessof the competition system.

The support group provided by the house system becameevident. On topic conversations among students prior classes

Figure 9: Figure showing the insignias of the differ-ent houses inside each of the blocks. House namesfrom left to right; ”Squiggly”, ”Ternary”, ”Amper-sand”, ”Scope”, ”Modulus”

were prevalent. The shyness barrier between the weaker stu-dents and ones doing well appears to have been slighted.

There are moments when students express success throughtaunting (shouting, raising their hands in triumph, bangingthe table and the likes). Others who somehow failed the ac-tivities resort to crying and cursing. Though, some becamehopeful that they’ll do better in the succeeding activities.

Students take a photo of the scoreboard when they finishon the top of the rankings.

These observations came from instructors who adoptedthe system and does not necessarily prove the effectivenessof Xiphias. Future work seeks to do the quantitative studyto test its effectivity.

8.2 Student Behavior After ClassesAs per observation, students form groups outside of the

class and meet during the common university break period4:30 - 6:00 pm. There are times when the group consistsof students coming from the same HOUSE, and times whenthe group consists of students coming from the same CLASS.There are instances when students coming from the differenthouses, together with their chosen mentors occupy differentrooms in the Department hall, as if to do secret training inorder to outperform the other houses.

8.3 Student Behavior In Social MediaAs of the writing of this paper, there are recorded in-

stances of students coming from the involved classes shar-ing images of class and house insignias over their network.These seems to fit well the thrusted implications of Craw-ford’s theory of game design and Maslow’s theory of fulfillingthe need to belong. This particular behavior is for furtherobservation.

The figure below shows one such instance.

Figure 10: A screencapture of an SNS activity of astudent participating in the Xiphias system sharinga class insignia

8.4 Mentor BehaviorChris Crawford talks about the BIRG Principle, short-

hand for ”Basking in Reflected Glory” [4] . Simply put, theBIRG Principle occurs when a person feels triumphant whena team he supports triumphs even when he is not directly aparticipant of the game.

Mentors chosen by block houses showed increased interestin teaching the blocks and houses that approached them.Programming problems used as training materials were pre-pared by the upperclass mentors. Likewise, consultationwith teachers handling the subject regarding topics to bediscussed on the following weeks became a routine.

9. WORK IN PROGRESSImprovements on the System are yet to be implemented

such as the provision of more informative feedback on pro-gram submissions i.e. compile error, output format error,time limit exceeded and others; provision of a mechanismfor students to send clarifications regarding problems viathe system; and the addition of a module to keep track ofall submissions made by a student categorized by problem.

Statistical analysis to test the usability and effectivenessof the developed system would likewise be done.

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