TY - GEN
T1 - Enhancing Computer Science Education Using Learning Assistants
T2 - 2025 ACM Southeast Conference, ACMSE 2025
AU - Narasareddygari, Mourya Reddy
AU - Ramasamy, Vijayalakshmi
AU - Cilone, Daniel
AU - Ali, Md
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).
PY - 2025/5/8
Y1 - 2025/5/8
N2 - Universities are increasingly adopting learning assistant (LA) programs due to their pivotal role in enhancing peer-driven learning through mentoring, in-class support, and small-group problem-solving. LA programs foster academic success, promote a collaborative culture, and improve the overall learning experiences. When integrated with gamification, a powerful educational strategy known for boosting motivation and engagement, LA programs become even more impactful, particularly in computer science education, where dropout rates are significantly higher than in other disciplines, primarily due to low student motivation and self-confidence. This research investigates the transformative potential of integrating LAs with gamification techniques to address these challenges. LAs can create a more engaging and dynamic learning environment in CS courses by incorporating gamification elements such as reward systems, competitive coding challenges, and progress tracking. Beyond facilitating gamified activities, LAs provided continuous support, fostering participation and guiding students through active learning strategies, including peer-led discussions, code debugging, and collaborative problem-solving. The study demonstrates that this integration of gamification and LA support significantly enhances student engagement, self-esteem, and classroom experiences. While participants reported strong satisfaction and improved outcomes, slight variability in LA training and engagement highlighted opportunities for further refinement to optimize these integrated approaches. The findings of this pilot study underscore the effectiveness of combining gamification and LA programs to create inclusive, student-centered learning environments. This approach not only helps students overcome barriers to success but also equips them with critical skills for academic and professional growth, offering a scalable strategy to improve retention and outcomes in computer science education.
AB - Universities are increasingly adopting learning assistant (LA) programs due to their pivotal role in enhancing peer-driven learning through mentoring, in-class support, and small-group problem-solving. LA programs foster academic success, promote a collaborative culture, and improve the overall learning experiences. When integrated with gamification, a powerful educational strategy known for boosting motivation and engagement, LA programs become even more impactful, particularly in computer science education, where dropout rates are significantly higher than in other disciplines, primarily due to low student motivation and self-confidence. This research investigates the transformative potential of integrating LAs with gamification techniques to address these challenges. LAs can create a more engaging and dynamic learning environment in CS courses by incorporating gamification elements such as reward systems, competitive coding challenges, and progress tracking. Beyond facilitating gamified activities, LAs provided continuous support, fostering participation and guiding students through active learning strategies, including peer-led discussions, code debugging, and collaborative problem-solving. The study demonstrates that this integration of gamification and LA support significantly enhances student engagement, self-esteem, and classroom experiences. While participants reported strong satisfaction and improved outcomes, slight variability in LA training and engagement highlighted opportunities for further refinement to optimize these integrated approaches. The findings of this pilot study underscore the effectiveness of combining gamification and LA programs to create inclusive, student-centered learning environments. This approach not only helps students overcome barriers to success but also equips them with critical skills for academic and professional growth, offering a scalable strategy to improve retention and outcomes in computer science education.
KW - Active learning strategy
KW - Gamification
KW - Introductory Computer programming
KW - Learning Assistant (LA) program
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105007433143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3696673.3723075
DO - 10.1145/3696673.3723075
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:105007433143
SN - 9798400712777
T3 - Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Southeast Conference
SP - 171
EP - 179
BT - ACM Southeast Regional Conference
PB - Association for Computing Machinery, Inc
Y2 - 24 April 2025 through 26 April 2025
ER -