Pointer Attack: Lessons Learned in Computer Concept Gamification

Many early students of computer science struggle with a theoretical understanding of new concepts and their programmatic implementations. However, the difficulties associated with the necessary learning often frustrate newer students. Thus, any educational strategy must be able to both engage and motivate. Based on previous research, we developed a small game to teach undergraduate computer science students about pointers, which are variables that reference computer memory indirectly. We did not find that our attempt at gamification yielded significant improvement in student engagement, learning or motivation, but our experience indicates that future research into a sandbox type game has potential to encourage students to learn independently.