What is Artificial Intelligence?

Game creation tool for teens

Computer scientists in the United States believe that creating computer games, rather than just playing them could boost students' critical and creative thinking skills as well as broaden their participation in computing.

Researchers Nikunj Dalal, Parth Dalal, Subhash Kak, Pavlo Antonenko, and Susan Stansberry of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, described in a paper how creating computer game can be an innovative teaching method that could ultimately help bridge and define the digital divide between people lacking computer skills and access and those with them.

This project named Rapid Computer Game Creation (RCGC) came about in response to the "increasing gap between groups that use information and communication technologies widely and those that do not," the team explains, which is rapidly becoming a problem.

This gap is technically known as the digital divide. In addition to what the team said, "digital divide refers not only to unequal access to computing resources between groups of people but also to inequalities in their ability to use information technology fully."

After defining the problem, the team came up with a solution, which was proven using a preliminary survey of this approach. The approach proved largely positive effects of using the method RCGC.

RCGC was proven effective to provide pre-requisite knowledge in computer programming among students, whether schoolchildren or adult learners.

Click here to learn more about Rapid Computer Game Creation and Computer Games