# The Use of Educational Games in Programming Assignments: SQL Island as a Case Study
## 5 Discussion  
In this section, the results recorded in the study are discussed in the context of the three research questions, and conclusions are drawn. _RQ1: How do students evaluate the player experience and short-term learning in SQL Island?_  
SQL Island is a simple game with basic graphics and limited game mechanics. However, based on its evaluation by 56 undergraduate students in the context of a compulsory SQL assignment, it turned out that it successfully fulfills its serious purpose, which is practicing SQL and self-assessing SQL knowledge. When it comes to player experience, the majority of students evaluated positively (median = 4) all the relevant dimensions of the MEGA+ model, with the exception of the dimension of focused attention. Specifically, students evaluated positively the \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Improvement** & **Frequency** & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Percentage among the Participants** \\ **that Proposed Improvements** \\ **(N = 36)** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Percentage among All the** \\ **Participants** \\ **(N = 56)** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Better graphics & 16 & 44\% & 29\% \\ More SQL statements & 11 & 31\% & 20\% \\ Better error messages & 7 & 19\% & 13\% \\ More helpful hints & 5 & 14\% & 9\% \\ Theory—explanation of SQL & 4 & 11\% & 7\% \\ statements & 3 & 8.3\% & 5\% \\ Sound effects and background music & 3 & 8.3\% & 5\% \\ Save point & 3 & 8.3\% & 5\% \\ Going back in the game & 3 & 8.3\% & 5\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 7: Proposed improvements for SQL Island. _usability_ of SQL Island and all its constituent features, namely its aesthetics, learnability, operability, accessibility, and error prevention and recovery. Students were _confident_ both about managing to finish the game and learning through playing, while the game was _challenging_ enough to keep them engaged. Students felt _satisfied_ with playing and learning within the game and would recommend it to colleagues. Although SQL Island is an educational game, students had _fun_ with it, and, at the same time, its _relevance_ to the course was clear to them. It is important that students consider the game as an adequate teaching method for the course and express their preference in learning with this game in comparison with other methods. In the relevant open-type question, the most referenced advantages of the game were the fact that students learn through the game that is based on an interesting story, is easy to comprehend (dialogues, tasks), and all these result in an entertaining experience. As already mentioned, the feature that divided students was _focused attention_ and specifically the immersion caused by the game. Maybe the use of better _graphics_ and _animation_, which was one of the most referenced improvements for the game in the relevant open-type question, would improve this aspect of the game. _Background music_ and _sound effects_ could also have a positive impact. The results of the evaluation were also positive regarding the _perceived short-term learning_. The students agreed that the game helped them comprehend new SQL elements or comprehend better SQL elements they already knew, and consequently, they learned something new through playing (median = 4). The game covered material that was important for the course, while students devoted time reading this material while playing (median = 4). Students agreed that the game provided a more efficient way of learning in comparison with other activities (median = 4), and they strongly agreed that they would like such type of activities in programming courses (median = 5). In the open-type question on the potential usages of SQL Island, students stated that the game could also be effectively used for learning SQL or even introducing students to SQL in a more intuitive and engaging way, practicing and consolidating knowledge, or even in an evaluation process. Practically, the game could be used in all aspects of the educational process.