IIT Kharagpur’s entry to The Serious Games Showcase and Challenge (SGS&C)-2021, Cod AR,
has won this year’s challenge in the Innovation category.
The Serious Games Showcase and Challenge is a premier destination for recognition of
excellence in the field of Serious Games development. This year, awards were presented in the
following categories – Best Government Game, Best Student Developed Game, Best Business Developed Game, and Best XR Game.
CodAR, developed by Mr. Vandit Sharma, a 2021 graduate from the Department of
Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Kaushal
Kumar Bhagat, Assistant Professor in the Advanced Technology Development Centre, is an
Augmented Reality based serious game that teaches computer programming skills and introduces
basic concepts of computer programming such as sequence, functions, and iterative codes
(loops).
Developed on the Unity Game Engine and playable on Android OS – 7 (Nougat) and above, the
goal of the game is to help the primary character (a bunny) to collect all the carrots in a particular
level by logically arranging playing cards in a sequence to control the bunny’s movement. The
whole process mimics the development of actual code snippets enabling learners to learn coding
by winning the game. The game has been designed for 12-year-olds ( Grade 5 and 6). It uses
Game Learning analytics to measure a player’s learning outcome. The analytics include the
highest game level unlocked, number of attempts in each level, progress, and time to complete.
Players also receive feedback while playing the game.
To learn more about the game, click: https://youtu.be/AiwC79WfGZE
In a conversation with The KGP Chronicle, Dr. Bhagat stated that gamification is the future of
learning. Edutainment products like CodAR are crucial in imparting knowledge to the new
generations of learners. He further said that“Learning needs to be more interactive, joyful,
engaging and effective through AR and VR”. Many countries across Europe, North America,
and East Asia have introduced learning through AR in schools and received very encouraging
feedback from students.
Even though India lags behind in the research, acceptance, and implementation of AR
technology, Prof. Bhagat believes that it has an immense potential to develop frugal, scalable and
portable products and become a multi-million dollar research and production hub in the near
future.
Content Writer:- Arkaprabha Pal, Office of Alumni Affairs & Branding
Email: pal18arkaprabha@gmail.com
