PROCEEDINGS OF

1 THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CARNIVAL

ON e-LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016

PROCEEDINGS OF
THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CARNIVAL
ON e-LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016

KEMENTERIAN PENDIDIKAN TINGGI

 PROCEEDINGS OF
i THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CARNIVAL
ON e-LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016

PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

CARNIVAL ON e-LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016

UTM Academic Leadership (UTMLead)

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

Cetakan Pertama/ First Printing 2016

Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi Malaysia/
Copyright Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2016
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All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Abdul Halim Abdullah, 1983–.

2016 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CARNIVAL ON e-
LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016/ Abdul Halim Abdullah, Fatimah Puteh, Norah Md Noor

ISBN 978-967-0194-70-7

Editor: Abdul Halim Abdullah, Fatimah Puteh, Norah Md Noor

Cover Design: Zul Azri bin A. Rahman

Published in Malaysia by

UTM Academic Leadership (UTMLead)

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UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA
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ON e-LEARNING (IUCEL) 2016

Code Puzzle Apps For Learning Actionscript 2.0 Programming

Nurul Faizah Rozali, Norasykin Mohd Zaid, Norah Md Noor*
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Johor , Malaysia
* faizah.rozali@gmail.com

Highlights: CODE PUZZLE is an edutainment mobile apps that is specifically designed for learning
ActionScript 2.0. This apps used Puzzle as the game genre because research shows that there are
interrelation between programming and puzzle game in term of logic. This Apps have various solution
paths which is motivating and fun, where players unintentionally develop their problem-solving skills
which are fundamental elements to improve programming skills.

Key words: edutainment, mobile learning, game, programming, ActionScript, Android

Introduction

Learning to program is generally considered hard (Teague, 2009). It has even been said, that it takes about 10 years
for a novice to become an expert programmer (Soloway & Spohrer, 1989). To overcome this problem, it is
fundamental to change the way of teaching programming to make it more attractive such as game (Salcedo &
Idrobo, 2011). Educational games are potentially motivating students to learn by “making learning fun” (Ames,
1990). Motivation is an importance element in instructional design and act as an underlying factor of learning
process (Katzeff, 2000). Thus, implementation of motivation model in game could strengthen the effectiveness of
mobile game.

Colarusso (1993) claim that play “promotes engagement and mastery of development tasks”. While, Rieber (1996)
mention that play is a “powerful influence on learning” for both adults and children. Thus, implementation of game
in learning programming should give a positive result.

Description of Innovation

We use puzzle as the game strategy where students need to develop situated understandings and learn through
failure. So, problem solving thinking skill is required to finish this game.

Figure 8: Screenshot of CODE PUZZLE Apps

The game start with a situation and the student needs to arrange the puzzle to complete the missions in which each
of them differ in every level to achieve one goal. Notes on how to use the puzzle and error warning menu are
provided to help students in completing the task. In this game, learner needs to think critically to arrange the code
into the puzzle form in correct order with the goal to program the Rabbit. At the same time, learner will learn syntax
error in programming ActionScript 2.0.

Table 1: Result of the Performance Test

Achievement Description Number of students
Excellent Pass More than 80% 7
Good Pass 70 – 79 2
Pass 50 - 69 1
Fail Less than 50% 0

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A performance test was distributed to 10 students after they used this mobile apps application to measure their
programming ActionScript 2.0 concept acquisition. Result showed that 90% of the learners pass with more than 70%
marks on the performance test. The result consistent with YanHong et. Al (2010) finding that mobile game affects
learner motivation and performance.

Important to education (novelty and uniqueness)

We have apply the concept of playing in order to learn Action Script 2.0 programing lessons for this Mobile
Apps. This is a new invention as currently there is no approach provided for teaching and learning ActionScript
programming using mobile phones, even though ActionScript is common for novice programmer (Crawford &
Boese, 2006).

Potential to be Commercialization

CODE PUZZLE android application package (APK) will be used for distribution and commercialization
purposes. APK file can be installed on any Android devices by downloading the CODE PUZZLE application from the
online apps store (Google Play). This mobile apps is a market-ready product with a copyright and looking forward to
be commercialized. In term of marketability value, this product has the potential to be used not only for student
learning Action Script in tertiary education but also for school children and public self-learners.

Acknowledgement

The authors are deeply indebted and would like to express our gratitude to the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Student
to Student Edutainment Club and UTM GUP Grant Vot R.J130000.7331.4J159 for supporting this product innovation
development.

References

Ames, C. A. (1990). Motivation: What teachers need to know. Teachers College Record, 90(3), 409-421.
Colarusso, C. A. 1993. Play in adulthood. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 48,225–245.
Katzeff, C. (2000). The design of interactive media for learners in an organizational setting – the state of the art. , Proc. NordiCHI 2000,
Stockholm.
Koster, R. 2005. A Theory of Fun for Game Design. Scottsdale, Arizona: Paragylph Press.
Rieber, L. 1996. Seriously considering play: designing interactive learning environments based on the blending of microworlds,
simulations and games. Education and Training Resource & Development, 44, 42–58.
Salcedo, S. L. and Idrobo, A. M. O. (2011) New tools and methodologies for programming languages learning using the scribbler
robot and Alice, 2011 Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), p. F4G-1-F4G-6,
Soloway, E. & Spohrer, J. (1989). Studying the Novice Programmer, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey. 497 p.
Teague, D. (2009). A People-First Approach to Programming. Education. 171-180
Ting, R. Y. (2005). Mobile Learning: Current Trend and Future Challenges. Proceeding of the Fifth IEEE International Conference on
Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT’ 05). 603-607.
Yanhong, Wang, Luo Liming, and Liu Lifang. (2010). The innovation of education brought forward by educational games. Education
Technology and Computer Science (ETCS), 2010 Second International Workshop on. Vol. 2. IEEE

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