In-Class Teaching With Serious Games—Does Experience Matter?

Contribution: This article provides evidence on the influence of serious games (SGs) in software engineering (SE) education on students’ scores, exam attendance, and chance of passing. It also highlights the impact of teachers’ experience with the implementation of SGs as a learning approach on the aforementioned metrics.Background: Although there are previous studies validating SGs in SE subjects, examining the effects that SGs and the expertise to implement them can have on students’ academic achievement by means of rigorous scientific methods is lacking.Research Questions: Do students achieve better academic results when SGs are used? Are the exam attendance and chance of passing higher among students enrolled in courses that use SGs compared to those following a traditional approach? Does the teachers’ expertise with SGs have an impact on students’ achievement? Are students satisfied using SGs in SE courses?Methodology: A controlled experiment was conducted on undergraduate students who were enrolled in an SE course during the years 2012/2013-2013/2014 and 2021/2022 to compare the effects of SGs with traditional teaching on students’ achievement in this subject. The students from the academic year 2012/2013 attended traditional lectures only, while the students from the academic years 2013/2014 and 2021/2022 had SGs incorporated within their lectures, led by teachers without and with expertise to deploy SGs, respectively.Findings: Students’ scores are higher when SGs are used compared to traditional teaching. Teachers’ experience and expertise are key factors to improve the chances of attending and passing the final exam when SGs are used.