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Autori principali: Hou, Chenyu, Yu, Hua, Zhu, Gaoxia, Anas, John Derek, Liu, Jiao, Ong, Yew Soon
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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Accesso online:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.03727
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author Hou, Chenyu
Yu, Hua
Zhu, Gaoxia
Anas, John Derek
Liu, Jiao
Ong, Yew Soon
author_facet Hou, Chenyu
Yu, Hua
Zhu, Gaoxia
Anas, John Derek
Liu, Jiao
Ong, Yew Soon
contents Computational Thinking (CT) is a foundational problem-solving skill, and gamified programming environments are a widely adopted approach to cultivating it. While large language models (LLMs) provide on-demand programming support, current applications rarely foster CT development. We present MazeMate, an LLM-powered chatbot embedded in a 3D Maze programming game, designed to deliver adaptive, context-sensitive scaffolds aligned with CT processes in maze solving and maze design. We report on the first classroom implementation with 247 undergraduates. Students rated MazeMate as moderately helpful, with higher perceived usefulness for maze solving than for maze design. Thematic analysis confirmed support for CT processes such as decomposition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking, while also revealing limitations in supporting maze design, including mismatched suggestions and fabricated algorithmic solutions. These findings demonstrate the potential of LLM-based scaffolding to support CT and underscore directions for design refinement to enhance MazeMate usability in authentic classrooms.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_03727
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle MazeMate: An LLM-Powered Chatbot to Support Computational Thinking in Gamified Programming Learning
Hou, Chenyu
Yu, Hua
Zhu, Gaoxia
Anas, John Derek
Liu, Jiao
Ong, Yew Soon
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
Computational Thinking (CT) is a foundational problem-solving skill, and gamified programming environments are a widely adopted approach to cultivating it. While large language models (LLMs) provide on-demand programming support, current applications rarely foster CT development. We present MazeMate, an LLM-powered chatbot embedded in a 3D Maze programming game, designed to deliver adaptive, context-sensitive scaffolds aligned with CT processes in maze solving and maze design. We report on the first classroom implementation with 247 undergraduates. Students rated MazeMate as moderately helpful, with higher perceived usefulness for maze solving than for maze design. Thematic analysis confirmed support for CT processes such as decomposition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking, while also revealing limitations in supporting maze design, including mismatched suggestions and fabricated algorithmic solutions. These findings demonstrate the potential of LLM-based scaffolding to support CT and underscore directions for design refinement to enhance MazeMate usability in authentic classrooms.
title MazeMate: An LLM-Powered Chatbot to Support Computational Thinking in Gamified Programming Learning
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.03727