Chapter 9: Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning for Programming Courses

In this technological era, programming skill has become highly valuable across IT and non-IT sectors. Teaching programming can be challenging, requiring a deep understanding of the subject and effective communication skills. Traditional pedagogy, focused on lectures, textbooks, and written assessments, tends to emphasize content over student-centered learning, resulting in limited practical application and knowledge retention. This chapter explores the potential of “Game-Based Learning” (GBL) and gamification as an alternative pedagogy to improve learner’s engagement, problem-solving skills, and learning skills. This chapter provides insights on GBL and its application in programming education, which enables instructors to make better decisions in their teaching practices for programming courses and improve students’ learning experiences.