# FemQuest - An Interactive Multiplayer Game to Engage Girls in Programming

Michael Holly 1, Lisa Habich 2, Maria Seiser 3, Florian Glawogger 4, Kevin
Innerebner 5 Graz University of Technology
Graz, Austria
Email<EMAIL_ADDRESS><EMAIL_ADDRESS><EMAIL_ADDRESS><EMAIL_ADDRESS><EMAIL_ADDRESS>Sandra Kupsa 6, Philipp
Einwallner 7 Jugend am Werk Steiermark
Graz, Austria
Email<EMAIL_ADDRESS><EMAIL_ADDRESS>Johanna Pirker
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Munich, Germany
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
###### Abstract

In recent decades, computer science (CS) has undergone remarkable growth and
diversification. Creating attractive, social, or hands-on games has already
been identified as a possible approach to get teenagers and young adults
interested in CS. However, overcoming the global gap between the interest and
participation of men and women in CS is still a worldwide problem. To address
this challenge, we present a multiplayer game that is used in a workshop
setting to motivate girls to program through a 3D game environment. The paper
aims to expand the educational landscape within computer science education by
offering a motivating and engaging platform for young women to explore
programming quests in a collaborative environment. The study involved 235
girls and 50 coaches for the workshop evaluation and a subset of 20
participants for an in-game analysis. In this paper, we explore the engagement
in programming and assess the cognitive workload while playing and solving
programming quests within the game, as well as the learning experience and the
outcome. The results show that the positive outcomes of the workshop
underscore the effectiveness of a game-based collaborative learning approach
to get girls interested in computer science activities. The variety of
solutions found for the different tasks demonstrates the creativity and
problem-solving skills of the participants and underlines the effectiveness of
the workshop in promoting critical thinking and computational skills.

###### Index Terms:

multiplayer game, girls, collaborative learning, computer science education

††publicationid: pubid:  979-8-3503-5067-8/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE

##  I Introduction

The gender gap in computer science persists to this day. With 25% of the US-
American [1] and 32.8% of the European workforce being female[2] in computer-
related and high-tech occupations, it remains a male-dominated field. The
reasons why women aren’t entertaining a career in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are multi-faceted but are often rooted in
early childhood [3]. Girls who are performing well in science-related subjects
are often also doing well in non-science-related courses [4]. So even if they
were likely to be successful in computer science or related careers, young
girls are frequently influenced by gender stereotypes and unconscious biases
to pursue other interests. Improving the attitude of girls towards programming
remains a challenge, especially because interest in these subjects drops early
on [5]. To achieve a higher number of women working and being educated in STEM
fields, girls’ motivation needs to be encouraged and their self-confidence
strengthened to approach these subjects. A diverse workforce offers the
opportunity to develop better products for a broader spectrum of consumers and
better understand their needs. More women working in science and technology
promises to increase social equity and economic growth. In recent years,
innovative educational strategies, such as gamification and virtual learning
environments, have shown promise in engaging learners. Gamification can
successfully enhance learners’ motivation and engagement, offering an
effective alternative to traditional learning methods [6, 7]. Virtual worlds
provide diverse opportunities to engage learners through communication and
social interaction [8]. Additionally, competitive and collaborative approaches
have been shown to enhance learning outcomes in computer science education
[9]. Adjusting these concepts and methods for females can help to overcome the
gender gap in this field.

In previous studies, we have already investigated different motivating and
engaging learning methods for STEM education. In a virtual environment, we
applied a game-based learning approach in combination with chess puzzles to
engage students in learning computer science concepts [10]. Using a more
immersive environment, we evaluated the engagement and learning experience
from the students’ and teachers’ perspectives and potential use cases for
school classes [11]. In this paper, we want to focus on girls and young women,
introducing FemQuest - an interactive multiplayer game designed to engage
players in programming. By assessing engagement, workload, and the learning
experience, we aim to provide insights into the effectiveness of the learning
tool for fostering interest and proficiency in programming among female
learners. The main research objectives are defined as:

  * •

Investigating the engagement of girls in introducing programming within a
story-based multiplayer game in a workshop setting.

  * •

Assessing the girls’ cognitive workload while playing and solving different
programming activities.

  * •

Examining the learning experience and the outcome after completing the team
play experience.

#### Contribution

This paper presents a workshop setting involving 235 girls and 50 coaches,
evaluating the feasibility of using a multiplayer game to engage girls in
programming. A subset of 20 participants was selected to investigate the
learning experience, focusing on engagement, workload, and learning outcomes
using in-game measurements.

##  II Background and Related Work

In general, girls and women are often less interested in computer science (CS)
than men. Even those who are interested are less likely to see it as a
possible career path [12]. Promoting the motivation and engagement of girls
across STEM subjects to overcome the prevailing gender gap in these fields has
been the focus of several studies in recent decades [13, 14, 15, 16]. Several
strategies such as creating attractive, social, or hands-on games have already
been identified as possible approaches to get girls and young women interested
in CS [5]. De Carvalho et al. [13] introduced the CODING4GIRLS initiative,
which is dedicated to teaching girls coding using a game design and
development process based on design thinking methodology that emphasizes
creativity and human-centered solutions. The use of games to promote
educational content has proven to be a successful strategy to improve
learners’ motivation [6]. Compared to traditional learning methods, game-based
digital learning offers a powerful way to not only improve the attitude of
students toward increasing their performance but also improve their creativity
when it comes to problem-solving [7]. Furthermore, virtual worlds offer a
powerful platform to engage learners in educational settings through
communication and social interaction [8]. Gütl [17] suggests that such digital
spaces have the potential to address collaboration issues prevalent in
existing technologies. These environments offer a variety of tools for
interacting and socializing that enable groups to work effectively together in
different learning scenarios. In combination with verbal and non-verbal
communication and creative abilities, avatars are important elements for
promoting effective learning in groups [18]. Furthermore, Crellin et al. [19]
demonstrated the versatility of virtual worlds in various CS domains, serving
as development environments, collaboration platforms, or simulation
environments. Cerny and Mannova [9] further showcased a competitive and
collaborative approach to improve learning outcomes in computer science
education. Visual programming environments with a block-based system are
widely used to teach users programming concepts and computational thinking
[20]. Lin and Weintrop [21] analyzed 46 block-based programming environments
and explored different design approaches to promote the transition to text-
based programming, such as blocks-only, dual-modality, one-way transition, and
hybrid. Scratch allows users to learn programming by creating interactive
stories, games, and animations using a visual programming language [22]. The
tool Snap! extends this approach by enabling the creation of custom blocks and
control structures, enhancing its suitability for more advanced introductions
to computer science [23]. The block-based programming environment Alice
facilitates the simple creation of animations, interactive stories, and simple
3D games through creative exploration. It has shown that this has a positive
effect on performance and retention of the learning content [24, 25]. As
another tool, Greenfoot specializes in the development of interactive
graphical applications allowing students to quickly and easily create engaging
programs while learning fundamental programming concepts [26]. All these tools
possess a visual nature, aim to generate engagement through exciting
activities, and focus on introducing programming to undergraduate students.
Dele-Ajayi et al. [27] discover engagement factors such as the level of
challenge, the clarity of the goal, social interaction, immersion, and
feedback that influence girls’ interests and determine the characteristics of
the game that are essential to engage them through games. The literature
review by Hong et al. [28] classifies game elements for educational
gamification into five categories: performance, ecological, social, personal,
and fictional. These categories distinguish the various elements used in
educational settings. Gamification elements can be classified as intrinsic or
extrinsic based on their purpose. Performance elements are extrinsic and
provide feedback, while social and personal elements are intrinsic, engaging
learners through actions and peer interactions. Ecological and fictional
elements combine both extrinsic and intrinsic aspects, creating interactions
through environmental contexts. By embedding programming tasks within a story,
girls can receive a higher motivation to learn programming principles.
Kelleher [29] demonstrated that the focus on storytelling makes learning
programming more attractive to girls. Previous research has shown that certain
game characteristics and elements are favorable for girls to be engaged when
playing computer games. Female players tend to prefer non-violence and non-
competitive game genres compared to male ones and dislike overly sexualized
in-game characters [30, 31]. For games emphasizing social interaction,
research indicates that girls generally prefer games with social features
[30]. An approach to increase the engagement of girls in computer science is
to teach them in single-gender classes. Marquardt et al. [32] showed that they
are significantly more open to CS-related topics and that the intervention
evoked significantly more positive reactions than in girls from mixed-gender
classes. In the following section, we describe a multiplayer workshop setting
in a single-gender class where girls play together to solve programming tasks
in a 3D game environment.

##  III Multiplayer Game Setting

FemQuest is designed as a multiplayer experience to help girls overcome
hesitations about computer science, especially programming, and to encourage
them to choose a career in this field. It is implemented in
Unity111https://unity.com/ and supports mobile devices and a desktop
application. To design the gaming application according to the target group’s
interests, girls and young women were involved in the development process.
Their feedback was integrated according to the evolutionary development
process [33]. In a four-hour workshop setting, girls have to solve different
programming tasks in teams, applying CS concepts such as conditions, loops,
and variables using a block-based programming interface integrated into the
game. The workshop is structured in three phases: (1) stand-up & start, (2)
game activity, and (3) review. Fig. 1 illustrates the workshop setting and the
activities during the workshop. At the beginning of the workshop, all
participants get together in a stand-up meeting to start as a group of 5-6
people. Afterward, they join the multiplayer session hosted by the workshop
leader and play the game. In this game session, they must collect items to
unlock quests and solve programming puzzles. Each user solves the programming
tasks individually and collaborates with the other players by unlocking quests
to progress in the game level. The host can intervene and define how many
players must solve a specific quest. The players have to fulfill this setting
to complete the level. Finally, in the review phase, the host leader discusses
the solutions with the participants and asks them for feedback.

###  III-A Game Story

The game consists of three levels, where each level starts with a comic that
introduces the story and the objectives of the level. Fig 2 shows an exemplary
clip of the introduction comic explaining the storyline. The story is about a
clever fox created by a professor who seeks aid to rescue a village from a
creature causing chaos. As a consequence, buildings are destroyed, the power
supply has been disrupted, and the professor has been captured. Along the way,
they must reconstruct buildings, restore power supply, gather ingredients for
an effective antidote, and finally compete against the antagonist in a
showdown. Throughout the game, players receive guidance and assistance and
interact with the in-game characters. With each challenge overcome, players
edge closer to restoring harmony and vanquishing the threat looming over the
village.

Figure 1: Workshop Structure and Activities

Figure 2: Game story presented in a comic sequence.

###  III-B Game View

The game view includes the menu and inventory bar, the mini-map, and the move
controls, as well as the player view (see Fig. 3). Via the menu, the player
can access the camera settings (first-person or third-person), the mini-map,
sound, and language settings, and can switch the controls between joystick and
d-pad. The players are represented by a customizable avatar, which the player
can change before starting the level. Users can navigate through the virtual
3d environment via controls on the screen or a keyboard and can orient
themselves using the mini-map. In this view, all quests are marked as red dots
and players as colored arrows. For a better overview of the level, the users
can expand the map by clicking on it. In the level, players must collect items
and accept different quests. Some of the collectibles are individual for each
player, and some are shared between the players so that they have to
collaborate. Non-player characters (NPCs) in the level provide hints and tips
for the player. The programming tasks are indicated with a red quest marker
and an NPC next to it, explaining the mission and the items that are required
to accept the challenge. When the player accepts, the game loads into the
programming view, where the quest has to be solved. Once the quest has been
completed, the player’s inventory gets reduced accordingly and the player
receives a reward for solving the quest. Furthermore, the red marker on the
map disappears.

Figure 3: Game View: (A) Menu, (B) Inventory Bar, (C) Mini-Map, (D) Move-
Controls, (E) Jump

###  III-C Programming View

The programming view is based on the Unity Block
Engine222https://meadowgames.com/ asset which allows players to code within
the game. It is divided into three main parts: (1) programming blocks, (2)
programming area, and (3) quest view. Fig. 4 gives an overview of the
different panels and elements. The right panel presents the quest that has to
be solved via block programming. By adding blocks from the block panel to the
programming area, users can define a command sequence that is executed when
the run button is pressed. Users can observe the outcome in the quest view and
get visual feedback on whether the quest has been completed (green) or not
(red). To assist players in solving the tasks, the app provides hints and tips
with detailed explanations by clicking on the help button. After completing
all mandatory sub-quests, the player returns to the game view to continue with
the level. The player also has the option to cancel a quest at any time and
resume it later.

Figure 4: Programming View: (A): Block Categories, (B) Blocks, (C) Programming
Area, (D) Execution Bar, (E) Quest View

##  IV Study Design

The study aimed to evaluate girl’s engagement level in programming when
playing a multi-user game within a workshop setting. The evaluation included a
workshop evaluation and an in-game assessment. The first experiment evaluated
the workshop setting, and the second experiment investigated the learning
experience through additional in-game measurements using a subset of
participants.

###  IV-A Material and Setup

To recruit participants, girls, and coaches from a job orientation course
offered by a local social service provider were invited to participate in the
study. Each participant was provided with an Android 13 tablet with a 10.5”
display running the game application. One device was used for hosting the game
session via a local WiFi network connection. To join the game session, the
participants were asked to enter the host IP address in the game setting. To
load the survey and upload data within the game, we used the LimeSurvey
RemoteControl 2 API [34].

###  IV-B Workshop Evaluation

For the workshop evaluation, we performed 40 workshops with girls and ten
additional workshops focusing on coaches. The workshop itself was conducted as
described before. At the beginning, the workshop leader gave a short
introduction of the overall procedure, the game story, and the different
tasks. Afterward, the participants had to play the game for three hours to
complete at least one level. During this stage, the workshop leader was
available to step in and give support. At the end of the workshop, they
discussed the solutions in the group and were asked to give feedback. We asked
them five feedback questions on a Likert scale between 1 (strongly disagree)
and 5 (strongly agree) to assess their satisfaction and one open question to
report optional feedback.

###  IV-C In-Game Assessment

To extend the study, we selected a representative subset of 20 participants.
After the stand-up & start meeting, the participants were asked to fill out a
pre-questionnaire about their age, level of education, and previous experience
with e-learning tools. In the game session, the participants played the first
level of the game where they had to perform the following programming quests
in ascending difficulty including three optional quests:

  1. 1.

Fence quests where the users have to repair, close, and open a fence using a
simple block command.

  2. 2.

House and Bridge quests where users must rebuild a house and a bridge by
combining block commands with loops.

  3. 3.

Unlock quests where users have to unlock a house to reach the next level using
if and only if conditions.

While playing the game level, we measured the time per quest, the quest
attempts, the number of collected items, and the programming solutions. The
measurements were integrated into the game environment and started
automatically when the user entered a level. After completion, participants
were asked a post-questionnaire that included two standardized questionnaires
to measure engagement, learning experience, and workload. The Web Based
Learning Tools (WBLT)[35] questionnaire assesses learning, design, and
engagement on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
To assess the cognitive workload and task efficiency, we used the NASA Task
Load Index (NASA-TLX) [36], whereby participants provided ratings of their
workload using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (low) to 10 (high).

###  IV-D Participants

In total, 235 girls aged between 15 and 23 (AVG = 18.30, SD = 0.80)
participated in the workshop evaluation. The participants represent a diverse
group of girls and young women from different social and cultural backgrounds
confronted with challenges such as unemployment, educational dropout, mental
health problems, or social exclusion. Additionally, 50 job coaches with
experience supporting and guiding young people in their career choices were
asked to participate in the study. For the additional in-game assessment, we
selected a subset of 20 participants considering their experience with
computer usage, video games, and programming, as well as their educational
level, social and cultural background. One of the girls had a primary
education level, five had completed lower secondary school, eight had upper
secondary school, and six had other qualifications. In the pre-questionnaire,
we asked them to rate their experience with computers, video games, and
programming on a Likert scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). They rated their
experience with computers as moderate (AVG=3.60, SD=1.10), video games
slightly higher (AVG=3.85, SD=1.04), and programming as low (AVG=2.40,
SD=1.47). Seven of them had already used an e-learning tool before.

##  V Results

This section presents the results of the workshop evaluation and the in-game
assessment with a focus on the learning experience, engagement, and workload.
The findings are categorized into general feedback from the workshop,
questionnaire data, and measurements recorded during gameplay.

###  V-A Workshop Feedback

To obtain feedback on the workshop setting, we asked both girls and coaches to
rate their overall satisfaction on a Likert scale between 1 (strongly
disagree) and 5 (strongly agree). Table I shows the results of the different
statements of both groups. Overall, the feedback from all participants was
generally positive. Both groups stated that they were satisfied with the
content presented in the workshop and agreed with the statement that the
workshop met their expectations, with the coaches giving a slightly higher
rating. Furthermore, knowledge transfer was rated as clear, and participants
were inclined to recommend the workshop setting to others. The coaches found
the setting and materials valuable and would use them. In the open questions,
the girls reported that they found the workshop interesting and enjoyable.
They gave positive remarks on the instructions by the workshop leader and
found that the way the instructions were presented made the session enjoyable.
A few mentioned that they learned new things while having fun playing the
game. However, some participants found the programming aspect challenging and
suggested a more beginner-friendly explanation. In addition, the coaches
reported the overall positive atmosphere and the well-structured content.
Nevertheless, some coaches felt that certain content was unnecessarily complex
for instructional purposes and more suitable for school settings.

TABLE I: Results of the workshop feedback on a Likert Scale between 1 (Strongly disagree) and 5 (Strongly agree) | Girls | Coaches
---|---|---
| AVG | SD | AVG | SD
I was satisfied with the workshop. | 4.21 | 0.83 | 4.58 | 0.68
The content of the workshop was fully covered. | 4.27 | 0.92 | 4.61 | 0.61
The method of knowledge transfer was clear to me. | 4.24 | 0.90 | 4.45 | 0.71
The workshop met my expectations. | 4.18 | 1,06 | 4.48 | 0.76
I would recommend the workshop. | 4.13 | 1.08 | 4.36 | 0.93
I can use the materials given in my daily work. | - | - | 4.11 | 1.06
The materials given are suitable for use in my daily work. | - | - | 4.37 | 0.94

###  V-B Learning, Design, and Engagement

To evaluate the learning experience and the effectiveness, we asked the
participants to rate the WBLT categories learning, engagement, and design on a
Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) - see Table II.
The results show positive feedback across all three categories - Learning
(AVG=3.53, SD=0.99), Design (AVG=3.36, SD=0.89), Engagement (AVG=3.51,
SD=0.96). They described the game as conducive to learning and rated elements
such as the use of learning objects and the effectiveness of the feedback as
positive. While graphics and animations received a slightly lower rating, the
game successfully taught new concepts, and participants perceived it overall
as beneficial for learning. In terms of design, participants appreciated the
utility of help features and found that instructions were generally easy to
follow, although there is room for improvement in clarity. The usability and
organization of the game were evaluated as above average. Regarding
engagement, participants enjoyed the game theme and perceived it as making
learning enjoyable. Participants also rated that they would use the game
again.

TABLE II: Results of the WBLT on a Likert Scale between 1 (Strongly disagree) and 5 (Strongly agree) |  | AVG | SD
---|---|---|---
Learning |  Working with the learning object helped me learn. | 3.60 | 0.88
The feedback from the game helped me learn. | 3.50 | 0.83
The graphics and animations helped me learn. | 3.20 | 1.10
The game helped teach me a new concept. | 3.80 | 1.15
Overall, the game helped me learn. | 3.55 | 1.00
Design |  The help features were useful. | 3.50 | 0.69
The instructions were easy to follow. | 3.35 | 0.93
The game was easy to use. | 3.30 | 0.98
The game was well organized. | 3.30 | 0.98
Engagement |  I liked the overall theme of the game. | 3.65 | 0.93
I found the game engaging. | 3.25 | 0.85
The game made learning fun. | 3.60 | 1.00
I would like to use the game again. | 3.55 | 1.05

###  V-C Workload Experience

To assess the overall performance, effort, and mental and physical demand, we
used the NASA TLX. We asked the participants to rate their experience on a
Likert scale between 1 (low) and 10 (high). The results, summarized in Table
III, provide information on the different dimensions of the workload during
the game. Overall, participants reported moderate mental, physical, and time
demands, suggesting that the tasks required appropriate cognitive processing
and that dealing with time restrictions was not perceived as a significant
constraint. Participants felt relatively confident in their performance with a
moderate level of effort. Nevertheless, there were reported experiences of
frustration, reflecting that some aspects of the task were frustrating or
challenging, underscoring the potential for improvement in the task design.

TABLE III: Results of the NASA-TLX on a Likert Scale between 1 (low) and 10 (high) | AVG | SD
---|---|---
Mental Demand | 5.20 | 2.12
Physical Demand | 5.20 | 1.74
Temporal Demand | 4.60 | 2.19
Performance | 7.05 | 2.01
Effort | 6.01 | 2.17
Frustration | 5.35 | 1.93

###  V-D Game Measurements

During the game session, participants completed four main quests: Fence (F),
House (H), Bridge (B), and Unlock (U). To complete the level, all the
mandatory quests had to be completed, while the three optional quests $Q*$
could be skipped by the players. To assess the gaming behavior, we recorded
in-game measurements such as the collected items, quest attempts, time per
quest, as well as the number of successes and different solutions. To start a
quest, players had to collect certain items and receive a special award for
optional quests. On average, each player collected six items and solved one
optional quest. In solving the quests, the players were free to find their
solutions. Fig. 5 shows the number of successes and the number of different
solutions found for each quest. The initial quests (F1-F3) were completed by
most of the participants. Although the more challenging tasks were solved less
often, the number of different solutions increased for the more complex ones.

Figure 5: Number of successes and solutions

The average number of attempts required to complete a quest (see Fig. 6)
provides valuable insights into the difficulty or complexity participants
encountered while attempting to solve the quests. Initially, the fence quests
displayed a relatively low average number of attempts, suggesting a
straightforward nature. On the contrary, the house and bridge quests demanded
more attempts, indicative of their increased challenge level, requiring
players to make more trial and error before succeeding. In the unlock quest,
the average number of attempts has decreased for most of the sub-quests.

Figure 6: Attempts per Quest

Fig. 7 represents the mean duration, in minutes, of the participants required
to complete each quest. Shows the efficiency and proficiency of participants
in executing tasks within the game environment. Participants completed the
initial fence quests on average in less than one minute. Other quests $Q$ and
optional quests $Q*$ were required correspondingly longer ($Q$: AVG=4.68 min;
$Q*$: AVG=9.39 min).

Figure 7: Time per Subquest

##  VI Discussion

The positive outcomes of the workshop underscore the effectiveness of
employing a collaborative game-based approach to engage girls in computer
science activities. The high level of satisfaction reported by both the girls
and the coaches indicates that the workshop was an enjoyable and useful
learning experience. However, feedback also shows potential for improvement,
particularly in making certain aspects of programming tasks more accessible to
participants. Addressing these challenges through clearer instructions and
more beginner-friendly explanations could further enhance the workshop’s
effectiveness in catering to a diverse range of skill levels among
participants. The results of the learning, design, and engagement assessment
further validate the efficacy of the game-based approach. Participants
perceived the game as conducive to learning, with effective use of learning
objects and feedback mechanisms contributing to their understanding of the
concepts presented. Although suggestions for improvement in terms of clarity
and organization indicate room for refinement, the overall enjoyment and
engagement reported by participants underscore the value of incorporating
gamification elements into educational activities. This is in line with the
findings of Burns et al. [15] suggesting that playing or designing games can
positively influence girls’ perceptions of pursuing a career in CS. Crucially,
these activities should emphasize personalization, collaboration, and the
presence of female characters to enhance engagement and motivation among
girls. The NASA-TLX results provide insights into the workload experienced by
participants during the game. While participants reported moderate mental,
physical, and temporal demands, the presence of frustration suggests
opportunities for optimizing task design to minimize cognitive load and
enhance the user experience. By addressing these challenges, future iterations
of similar workshops can strive to provide a more seamless and enjoyable
learning experience for participants. Analysis of in-game measurements
revealed interesting patterns in participants’ gaming behavior, highlighting
the progression of difficulty as participants advanced through the quests. The
variety of solutions found for different quests demonstrates the creativity
and problem-solving skills exhibited by participants, further emphasizing the
effectiveness of the workshop in fostering critical thinking and computational
skills. The alignment of the workshop outcomes with previous studies on
strategies to engage girls in computer science, such as the CODING4GIRLS
initiative [13] and the benefits of single-gender classes [32], provides
valuable context for understanding the broader impact of gender-specific
approaches in promoting girls’ interest in STEM fields. Such initiatives are
dedicated to teaching girls to program by using design thinking-based methods
with a focus on creative and human-centered solutions. The variety of
approaches participants employed to solve the different quests shows their
creativity, adaptability, and willingness to explore alternative strategies
within the game. The number of successes and different solutions provides
insights into participants’ problem-solving abilities, creative thinking, and
adaptability within the game environment. The variability in solutions not
only showcases participants’ problem-solving skills but also underscores the
flexibility and open-ended nature of the game environment, allowing for
multiple avenues to achieve objectives. However, it should be noted that the
variety of solutions can also be an indicator of potential issues where the
task or instructions could be clarified or refined to reduce ambiguity and
improve understanding. Quests with a higher number of programming blocks can
tend to have a higher variety of solutions, highlighting the intricate
relationship between task complexity and participants’ problem-solving
strategies. Analyzing the number of attempts provides valuable insights into
the difficulty level of the quests, highlighting areas where participants may
have faced challenges or required additional iterations to complete the
quests. The house quest witnessed a decrease in the average number of
attempts, indicating a potential adjustment in player strategies or a shift
towards more efficient problem-solving approaches. Additionally, insights from
research on game-based learning environments [5], visual programming
environments [20, 21], and educational gamification [37] inform the
theoretical underpinnings of the workshop’s design and implementation, further
validating its effectiveness in engaging and educating participants. Overall,
the workshop serves as a successful example of how innovative approaches,
informed by research and tailored to the needs and preferences of
participants, can effectively promote girls’ interest and participation in CS
activities. By leveraging the engaging nature of games and incorporating
interactive and hands-on learning experiences, workshops like these could play
a crucial role in inspiring the next generation of female computer scientists
and closing the gender gap in STEM fields.

###  VI-A Limitations

The main limitation of the study is the relatively small size of the 20
participants in the subset for the detailed analysis. This fact may not fully
capture the diverse range of all participants. Furthermore, the results
include only information on short-term participation, workload, and learning
outcomes, but the long-term effects and sustainability of the intervention are
not addressed. A long-term study could provide a more comprehensive
understanding of the impact of the game over time. Additionally, participants
had different social and cultural backgrounds with a low level of attention,
so short questionnaires in simple language had to be chosen. This could have a
potential impact on the collected data and its ability to fully capture the
complexity of the participants’ experiences.

##  VII Conclusion

In conclusion, the findings from the evaluation highlight the effectiveness of
the multiplayer workshop setting in engaging girls in computer science
activities within a 3D game environment. The positive feedback received from
both participants and coaches, along with the insights derived from in-game
assessments, offer valuable guidance for refining and improving future
iterations of similar workshops. Using the immersive and interactive nature of
games and integrating hands-on programming tasks, such workshops have the
potential to not only foster interest and engagement but also inspire and
motivate girls to pursue further studies and careers in computer science.
Regarding learning experience and effectiveness, participants rated learning,
engagement, and design positively. The game was seen as conducive to learning,
with positive remarks on learning objects and feedback effectiveness. Although
graphics and animations received slightly lower scores, participants found the
game enjoyable and were willing to use it again. In general, the workshop and
the game received positive feedback, suggesting the effectiveness of teaching
new concepts, fostering engagement, and providing a pleasant learning
experience. Possible improvements include clarifying instructions, simplifying
complex content, and refining quest design to balance challenge and enjoyment.
We believe this approach can also be adapted for multi-gender classes and that
further evaluations in school settings would provide insights into the
suitability of the pedagogical model from both learners’ and teachers’
perspectives. This could involve gathering feedback on the game’s
accessibility, its effectiveness in promoting learning, and its integration
into classroom instruction.

## Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Federal Chancellery Republic of Austria.

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