Constructive Game-Based Learning:
Encorporating Narrative into the Theoretical Computer Science Curriculum

                     by Laura Korte

We present constructive game-based learning as a new approach to
theoretical computer science education in the undergraduate
curriculum. Game-based learning generally refers to different forms of
learning-by-game-PLAYING. Constructive game-based learning on the
other hand, refers to learning-by-game-BUILDING. In the area of
theoretical computer science (TCS), application of this approach means
that students will be writing interactive stories -on a topic of their
choice- in the form of computer games, while at the same time
mastering the modelling skills on the TCS curriculum.
In our talk, we will demonstrate how constructive game-based learning
accomplishes this and present preliminary results from our first
study, which investigates the demand for interactive narrative
creation among TCS students. In our further studies we hope to find
that writing interactive stories while mastering TCS modelling skills,
will increase student motivation, which in turn could lead to improved
student perfomance.