Battling gender stereotypes: A user study of a code-learning game, “Code Combat,” with middle school children

Highlights：

• Assessing how gender differences are reproduced in a code-learning game is an unexplored category for player experience.

• Existing traditionally male-positive stereotypes affect participants' code learning game experience and performance.

• Girls exposed to a stereotypically male-targeted code learning game will distance themselves from coding concept.

• Girls' interest or success in a computational area is associated with not being an ordinary female.