Application of Block Programming and Game-Based Learning to Enhance Interest in Computer Science

More rapid development of the information society poses increasingly acute issue to increase the effectiveness of training in the field of computer science. The fact is that students prefer more applied fields of information and communication technologies in comparison with the informatics and programming. To solve this problem, leading universities and software companies develop multiple environments for block programming, which is inherently more interesting, motivating, fun and practical. It is known that game-based learning significantly increased interest and activity of the students and significantly increases the effectiveness of the training. The article will present a model for application of block programming in the development of educational games for standard and mobile devices and their application in both computer science students and secondary school students. Will be presented the experience of the team in the use of e-learning environments and implementation of these applications in developed courses. The application of the model currently shows increasing interest of all groups of students to programming. All this gives grounds for continuing the work and research in this direction.