Using Serious Games and Digital Games to Improve Students’ Computational Thinking and Programming Skills in K-12 Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Computational thinking and problem-solving skills have become vital for students to develop. Digital games and serious games are increasingly being used in educational settings and present great potential to aid students’ learning. This study aims to explore the role and impact of serious games and digital games on students’ computational thinking and programming skills in primary, secondary, and K-12 education through a systematic review of the existing literature. Four research questions were set to be examined. Following the PRISMA framework, 78 studies deriving from IEEE, Scopus, and Web of Science over the period of 2011–2024 are examined. The studies are categorized into Theoretical and Review studies, Proposal and Showcase studies, and Experimental and Case studies. Based on the results, serious games and digital games arose as meaningful educational tools that are positively viewed by education stakeholders and that can effectively support and improve K-12 education students’ computational thinking and programming skills. Among the benefits identified, it was revealed that serious games offer enjoyable and interactive learning experiences that can improve students’ learning performance, engagement, and motivation, enhance students’ confidence and focus, and promote self-regulated learning and personalized learning. Additionally, serious games emerged as an educational means that can effectively support social learning and provide real-time feedback. The challenges identified were related to the selection of games and the game-related design elements, decisions, and approaches. Hence, the study highlights the significance of the design of serious games and the need to cultivate students’ computational thinking, problem-solving, and social skills from a young age. Finally, the study reveals key design principles and aspects to consider when developing serious games and digital games and highlights the need to involve education stakeholders throughout the design and development process.