BugHunt

BugHunt - A Motivating Approach to Self-Directed Problem Solving in Operating Systems

The BugHunt project provides a learning aid for learners, students and people who are interested in computer science or just in how their own computer works. It is meant to explore the computer and operating system to understand the basic functions in a challenging way. BugHunt is a dedicated software, that simulates a virus-like behavior (called "bugs" ) on the computer. The task is to remove these bugs from the system using the operating system´s (in this case "Microsoft Windows") own functions. The BugHunt textbook provides the necessary information to use the functions.

What do you learn?

  • competencies in using the computer
  • using basic operating system´s functions
  • detecting virus-like behavior on the system
  • solving general problems with the computer

How does it work?

The Bugs of the BugHunt software can be activated separately or as an entire category. After terminating the preferences subroutine, the Bugs are set active randomly. To remove them, the learners can use the BugHunt textbook with several hints, explanations and background information about the Bugs. The learners gain a score for the number of removed Bugs to enhance the contest atmosphere.

The Bugs are arranged in three categories from easy (even for inexperienced users) to hard (using encryption mechanisms and restricted input functions).

GTC-Bug (easy)

Many programs, demand the user to accept the general terms and conditions during installation. But usually hardly anybody reads that enormous amount of text. This bug motivates to at least skim the terms and conditions.

Key-Bug (hard)

The keyboard is the most vital and reliable device on the computer. But what to do, if the input of the keyboard is changed in some way? If you understand the Caesar cipher, you know how to remove this Bug.

You can get the BugHunt software and the textbook upon email request to the chair of didactics of informatics. All copyrights 2014 by Michael Trommen, Florian Pottbäcker and Youssef Ilaghef.

The BugHunt project provides a learning aid for learners, students and people who are interested in computer science or just in how their own computer works. It is meant to explore the computer and operating system to understand the basic functions in a challenging way. BugHunt is a dedicated software, that simulates a virus-like behavior (called "bugs" ) on the computer. The task is to remove these bugs from the system using the operating system´s (in this case "Microsoft Windows") own functions. The BugHunt textbook provides the necessary information to use the functions.

What do you learn?

  • competencies in using the computer
  • using basic operating system´s functions
  • detecting virus-like behavior on the system
  • solving general problems with the computer

How does it work?

The Bugs of the BugHunt software can be activated separately or as an entire category. After terminating the preferences subroutine, the Bugs are set active randomly. To remove them, the learners can use the BugHunt textbook with several hints, explanations and background information about the Bugs. The learners gain a score for the number of removed Bugs to enhance the contest atmosphere.

The Bugs are arranged in three categories from easy (even for inexperienced users) to hard (using encryption mechanisms and restricted input functions).

GTC-Bug (easy)

Many programs, demand the user to accept the general terms and conditions during installation. But usually hardly anybody reads that enormous amount of text. This bug motivates to at least skim the terms and conditions.

Key-Bug (hard)

The keyboard is the most vital and reliable device on the computer. But what to do, if the input of the keyboard is changed in some way? If you understand the Caesar cipher, you know how to remove this Bug.

You can get the BugHunt software and the textbook upon email request to the chair of didactics of informatics. All copyrights 2014 by Michael Trommen, Florian Pottbäcker and Youssef Ilaghef.