The UNT College of Engineering strives to educate and train engineers and technologists who have the vision to recognize and solve the problems of society. The college comprises six degree-granting departments of instruction and research.
This article discusses motivating and retaining computer science students with a competitive game programming project.
Physical Description
9 p.
Notes
Abstract: The widespread goals of student retention, introduction larger programming projects and fostering collaboration among students in computer science courses has led to the inclusion of group projects in many curricula, with task division and collaboration as motivation for students to complete assignments. This article presents a study in a first-year programming assignment with similar goals, but with methods adopting the contrarian view - having students directly and individually compete with one another in a tournament of their respective software agents. This article presents the results of a year-long experiment in an intra-class competitive assignment in the second C++ programming course at the University of North Texas in Denton. Metrics of student performance on the assignment, correlation with course grade, student surveys of the project, and retention statistics are presented. Results demonstrating overwhelmingly positive response and high levels of effort among students are submitted, along with remarks on application to student recruiting, retention, and curriculum design.
International Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER) Special Volume: Innovations 2007 - World Innovations in Engineering Education and Research, 2007, International Network for Engineering Education and Research, 2007, pp. 1-9
Publication Title:
International Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER) Special Volume: Innovations 2007 - World Innovations in Engineering Education and Research
Peer Reviewed:
Yes
Collections
This article is part of the following collection of related materials.
UNT Scholarly Works
Materials from the UNT community's research, creative, and scholarly activities and UNT's Open Access Repository. Access to some items in this collection may be restricted.
Garlick, Ryan & Akl, Robert G.Motivating and Retaining CS2 Students with a Competative Game Programming Project,
article,
2007;
[Arlington, Virginia].
(https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30842/:
accessed July 10, 2025),
University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu;
crediting UNT College of Engineering.