Abstract:
There is a huge dropout rate among Computer Science students at the
University of Namibia (UNAM). This can be attributed to the lack of engaging
methods for learning both basic and advanced computational concepts. Despite
gamification concepts in learning discussed in the literature, no study addresses the
modules with very high failure rates among Computer Science students at UNAM
using the concept of gamification. The purpose of this paper was to present the
design, development, and evaluation of CS Challenger. CS Challenger is a mobile
application which was developed to motivate students through interactive gaming
techniques to facilitate rewards and rankings. For the first time in the Namibian
context, a contextualised mobile app was developed to gamify the concepts of five
modules offered to Computer Science students at UNAM. The results from the
evaluation suggest that CS Challenger provides a motivating environment in which
students can quickly grasp the concept of a subject. The findings of the study are
expected to inform managers in education in Namibia on alternative means of
providing gamified learning content to students.
