Using Minigames to Teach Computer Architecture

Reva Freedman, Ian Sullivan, Annalise Brockmann, Minhaz Patel

Abstract: In this paper we describe a minigame-based system that helps students master the basics of computer architecture for a required course in a large public university. The course contains a sequence of topics that work together to show students how a computer works. Due to resource limitations, the course is taught in a large lecture format without a lab. The purpose of the games is threefold: to help students master the material, to provide excitement and motivation to increase time-on-task, and to provide some of the hands-on experience that a lab would provide. The prototype covers topics from different sections of the course as proof of concept, including gates and circuits, the binary number system with two’s complement format, and a simulation of a simple CPU. The purpose of the paper is to show how game mechanics can be employed to achieve these goals.