Teaching Business Programming Using Games: A Critical Analysis

. This paper examines the persistent problematic issue of engaging business students in teaching computer programming. Studies continue to document challenges in teaching computer programming and various methods have been proposed with varying degrees of success. From an educator’s perspective, the concern is how to engage students to enable the effective delivery of computer programming principles to the students. From a student’s perspective, how they experience the computer programming course will leave students with good programming habits, the ability to learn on their own and a favourable impression of the field of Information Systems as a profession. Method. The study used a case study design in which a survey and interviews were conducted among 138 students currently registered for a second year computer programming course at large urban University in South Africa. Three instructors involved in teaching the class were also interviewed to gauge their perspectives in relation to those offered by the students. Results. Our findings refutes the notion that the popular use of computer games in social contexts implies that they can be used successfully for teaching computer programming to business students. This allowed us, as educators in a position of power over students, to reflect on our intentions when re-designing curricula. Discussion and Conclusion. We suggest that while teaching innovations should be linked to a broader theme reflexive practice of experimentation; educators should encourage feedback from other stakeholders to foster ‘reflexive competence’, a desired property for transformation of curricula.