Labeling Debugging in May's Journey Gameplay

Debugging is an integral part of programming and is difficult to master among novice programmers. We examine how middle-school learners approach debugging within a puzzle game, May's Journey, using a Playback Tool that provides a replay of student gameplay to support teacher practice and research. Teachers and researchers can use our labeling system and Playback Tool to observe students' debugging process and identify those who are struggling to learn how to debug their code.