Description
This semester project was focused on creating an innovative educational application dedicated to teaching programming to middle school students. The main idea driving this application is to synergistically combine the concepts of gamification and game-based learning, thus transforming the process of learning programming into an engaging and fun experience that more closely resembles a challenging game than a traditional educational tool. At the heart of this initiative, "Code Quest" aims to integrate entertainment and education, making the programming learning journey compelling for students. The structure of the game is divided into three progressively more complex levels, where players are required to program a robot using a language specifically created for this context, called CQ. This language is designed to be accessible and understandable for even the youngest students. A distinctive aspect of "Code Quest" is the implementation of a real-time code compiler, which allows students to instantly see the effect of their code changes. In addition, a code evaluation system ensures that players understand programming concepts and apply them effectively as they progress through the levels of the game. To make the code even more accessible and readable, a text auto-formatting feature has been implemented. This automatically changes the color of the text according to the written instructions, thus greatly improving the clarity of the code and making it easier for students to understand. As for the development of the project, Unity was used. The context of the game is a futuristic, sci-fi world that adds an element of excitement and adventure to the learning process. In terms of design, a minimalist visual style was adopted to maintain a clean and intuitive interface, placing the focus on educational content. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide an interactive platform for middle school students that makes learning programming not only effective but also fun.