This research measures the effect of gamification on learners’ academic performance, investigate their self-directed learning level within an online gamification learning environment and identify the relationship between learners self-directed learning level and their gamification learning experience. Pre-experimental research (single group) was carried out for a duration of 5 weeks among a group of 29 undergraduate year 2 learners from a non-major computer science course undertaking basic programming language subject. The learners SDL and knowledge on the subject was measured with a questionnaire and assessment test before and after the gamification learning intervention. A gamification experience questionnaire was used to evaluate their gamification learning experience after the intervention. The learning environment was infused with gamification in the form of competition to earn points, leaderboard ranks and python programmer badge. The learner’s academic performance has significantly improved (p=0.000 < 0.05) after the gamification injection. Leaners self-directed learning level also increased and there is a significant difference before (M=3.59) and after (M=4.22) the gamification strategy (p=0.000 < 0.05) imposed. Self-management, motivation and self-monitoring were all at high level with significance before and after (p=0.000 < 0.05) the gamified learning activities. Overall, the gamification strategy used in the online learning environment shows a positive influence to support learner’s self-directed learning.

In recent years, programming education has gained recognition at various educational levels due to its increasing importance. As the need for problem-solving skills becomes more vital, researchers have emphasized the significance of developing algorithmic thinking (AT) skills to help students in program development and error debugging. Despite the development of various text-based and block-based programming tools aimed at improving students’ AT, emerging evidence in the literature indicates insufficient AT skills among students. This study was conducted to understand the growth trajectory of students’ AT skills in different programming environments. The study utilized a multigroup experiment involving 240 programming students randomly assigned to three groups: a text-and-block-based group, a block-based-only group, and a text-based-only group. Students in the text-and-block-based group were exposed to Alice and Python; those in the block-based-only group were exposed to Alice; and those in the text-based-only group were exposed to Python. We found that participants’ growth trajectory in AT skills is linear, with a significant growth rate. Although between-person variability exists across groups, we observed a compensatory effect in the text-and-block-based and block-based-only groups. Additionally, we found significant differences in AT skills across the groups, with no evidence of a gender effect. Our findings suggest that combining text-based and block-based programming environments can lead to improved and sustained intra-individual problem-solving skills, particularly in the field of programming.

Multimedia materials are becoming more commonly used in curricula. Multimedia learning tools that integrate text, graphics, audio, video, and animation make learning more interesting and easier for understanding a concept. These tools have been used in different ways over the years to support student learning in all branches of education. Diverse teaching strategies have been adopted in developing multimedia learning materials in many interesting designs. These strategies are designed to achieve a number of objectives. One of them is to overcome misconception among the students. Theoretically, misconception is a point at which students have understood certain concepts in the wrong manner. Usually, those students who are in this situation refuse to switch to the right one. Cognitive conflicts strategy is a part of psychological theories of conceptual change. This strategy is effective in correcting a misconception as well as in improving performance. Once an unreliable event is mismatched with the preconception held by the student, cognitive conflict will take place. The student will engage with the learning material and reconstruct his or her concepts to overcome conflict. There has been a lot of researches related to cognitive conflict strategy in Science and Mathematics education. This strategy has been demonstrated to improve students’ performance and misconception. Still, a lot of strategies have been implemented through face-to-face classroom instruction. With the growth of multimedia resources, a cognitive conflict strategy is believed to be employed when developing multimedia learning material. Even so, which elements of cognitive conflict strategy are usable within multimedia learning materials are still an ongoing inquiry. This research attempts to investigate elements of cognitive conflict strategy that could be embedded within multimedia learning materials that might effectively overcome the students’ misconception based on detailed literature review using meta-analysis technique. After being analysed qualitatively, five elements of cognitive conflict strategy have been identified: (1) meaningful information; (2) challenging students’ existing concept; (3) ability to gain attention, (4) motivation, and (5) comfortability in using the multimedia learning materials.