A Framework For Evaluating And Orchestrating Game Based learning That Fosters Computational Thinking

For some years now many teachers around the world have explored programming with their pupils inK-9 education. Research has shown that educational games of different kinds are often utilized byteachers as a mean for teaching programming and developing computational thinking. However,teaching and learning programming and computational thinking trough educational games isassociated with a number of challenges.One of those challenges are related to that teachers are presented with an ever increasing amount ofeducational games, and not supported with tools that, one the one hand, can help them evaluate thedidactical affordances and potentials of specific games so they can select curriculum appropriategames, and on the other hand, that can help them design and orchestrate game-based learningactivities. It is against such a background this paper presents a framework for the evaluation andorchestration of game-based learning activities that fosters computational thinking.The framework consists of two dimensions, namely game mechanics and learning mechanics. Thesetwo dimensions consists of a number of aspects that teachers and researchers can take into accountin order to evaluate and design activities, reaping the benefits of the didactical affordances of thegames and the available scaffolding resources built inside games and available outside of them