Sojourner under Sabotage: A Serious Testing and Debugging Game

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19287v1
• Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:05:10 GMT
• Title: Sojourner under Sabotage: A Serious Testing and Debugging Game
• Authors: Philipp Straubinger, Tim Greller, Gordon Fraser,
• Abstract summary: Sojourner under Sabotage is a browser-based serious game that blends education with an immersive storyline.<n>A study with 79 students demonstrates that the game is a powerful tool for enhancing motivation, engagement, and skill development.
• Score: 9.856068089918555
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: Teaching software testing and debugging is a critical yet challenging task in computer science education, often hindered by low student engagement and the perceived monotony of these activities. Sojourner under Sabotage, a browser-based serious game, reimagines this learning experience by blending education with an immersive and interactive storyline. Players take on the role of a spaceship crew member, using unit testing and debugging techniques to identify and repair sabotaged components across seven progressively challenging levels. A study with 79 students demonstrates that the game is a powerful tool for enhancing motivation, engagement, and skill development. These findings underscore the transformative potential of serious games in making essential software engineering practices accessible and enjoyable.

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