The Development of a 2D Game to Improve Programming Skills for Higher Vocational Students

The current teaching of programming still need an influent teaching materials that enhance learning motivation. Also, it should help strengthen students' programming skills. Therefore, this research aims to develop a game to enhance programming skills, designed and referenced from gamification principles, coupled with problem-based learning for vocational students. The study participants comprised 20 students from the higher vocational certificate program in a computer technology department, assigned to one classroom through purposive sampling. The research tools included a game to reinforce programming skills, tests, and satisfaction assessment. The results revealed that in the first period, traditional teaching methods without the treatment showed increased only slightly after completing the first post-test scores. However, in the second and third periods, where the games were incorporated for lesson reviews alongside problem-based learning, students exhibited a significant increase in post-test scores by 30.7% and 61.5%, respectively. The research results also showed high satisfaction with the game's usability and instructional media interest. Consequently, the study can be concluded that using games is effective and practical for developing programming skills in terms of problem-solving strategies and debugging skills. The research found that the academic achievement of the sample group improved significantly. Therefore, the study highlights the value of integrating games into teaching methods like problem-based learning to boost engagement, resulting in improved programming skills.