Teaching principles of programming without ICT: Sharing experiences on the design of a board game

This article shows the results of a board game prototype development. The game aimed to enhance player's skills such as teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and development of basic programming skills required in engineering careers. The prototype used the MDA framework (Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics) to create games and it was constantly tested to improve the interaction between the game and its participants. It was established that "between-shift" times represent a relevant factor for the maintenance of immersion flow and interest. The prototype was validated by the professors of the Systems Engineering program and by a focus group. Playability factors in the development of the prototype were evaluated. User experience was also evaluated in relation to the gameplay and entertainment level in different contexts. The participants experienced the four characteristic phases of board games: Unboxing, Setup, Initial Play, and Disassembly. OOBE (Out-Of-Box-Experience) was used to evaluate the game experience. Acceptance was expressed for the first module developed, and the feedback received will serve as design recommendations and future improvements for the first module and the development of the second one. Emphasis was placed on the need to implement strategies of this type to replace ICT used as support methodology when students do not possess enough or underdeveloped technological skills.