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Playsemble: Learning Low-Level Programming Through Interactive Games

Elliott Wen, Paul Denny, Andrew Luxton-Reilly, Sean Ma, Bruce Sham, Chenye Ni, Jun Seo, Yu Yang

TL;DR

Playsemble is a gamified learning system that transforms assembly instructions into interactive, game-like tasks in which students control Pac-Man to collect items, avoid ghosts, and reach targets, and it provides immediate formative feedback enhanced by large language models.

Abstract

Teaching assembly programming is a fundamental component of undergraduate computer science education, yet many students struggle with its abstract and low-level concepts. Existing learning tools, such as simulators and visualisers, support understanding by exposing machine states. However, they often limit students to passive observation and provide few opportunities for meaningful interaction. To address these limitations, we introduce Playsemble, a gamified learning system that transforms assembly instructions into interactive, game-like tasks in which students control Pac-Man to collect items, avoid ghosts, and reach targets. Playsemble integrates a code editor, a CPU emulator, and visual debugging tools within a browser-based environment, allowing students to work offline without installation or configuration. It also provides immediate formative feedback enhanced by large language models. We deployed Playsemble in an undergraduate computer architecture course with 107 students. The course featured a sequence of assignments of increasing complexity, covering core concepts such as register and memory manipulation, control structures including loops and conditionals, and arithmetic operations. Our findings suggest that Playsemble promotes active experimentation, sustained engagement, and deeper conceptual understanding through meaningful game-based learning experiences.

Playsemble: Learning Low-Level Programming Through Interactive Games

TL;DR

Playsemble is a gamified learning system that transforms assembly instructions into interactive, game-like tasks in which students control Pac-Man to collect items, avoid ghosts, and reach targets, and it provides immediate formative feedback enhanced by large language models.

Abstract

Teaching assembly programming is a fundamental component of undergraduate computer science education, yet many students struggle with its abstract and low-level concepts. Existing learning tools, such as simulators and visualisers, support understanding by exposing machine states. However, they often limit students to passive observation and provide few opportunities for meaningful interaction. To address these limitations, we introduce Playsemble, a gamified learning system that transforms assembly instructions into interactive, game-like tasks in which students control Pac-Man to collect items, avoid ghosts, and reach targets. Playsemble integrates a code editor, a CPU emulator, and visual debugging tools within a browser-based environment, allowing students to work offline without installation or configuration. It also provides immediate formative feedback enhanced by large language models. We deployed Playsemble in an undergraduate computer architecture course with 107 students. The course featured a sequence of assignments of increasing complexity, covering core concepts such as register and memory manipulation, control structures including loops and conditionals, and arithmetic operations. Our findings suggest that Playsemble promotes active experimentation, sustained engagement, and deeper conceptual understanding through meaningful game-based learning experiences.
Paper Structure (10 sections, 5 figures)

This paper contains 10 sections, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Design
  4. Experience
  5. Assignment Design
  6. Assignment Assessment
  7. System Usage Analysis
  8. Student Feedback
  9. Lessons Learned by Instructors
  10. Conclusion

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: The user interface of Playsemble.
  • Figure 2: The map builder's user interface enables educators to place, arrange, and manage tiles.
  • Figure 3: Our assignment is designed to cover the core concepts of assembly programming.
  • Figure 4: We automatically assess and rank students' submissions based on the CPU cycles.
  • Figure 5: Session Duration and Execution Count for Each Stage