Treffer: BattleInTheSky: A Low‐Cost Gamified Expert System for Explainable Artificial Intelligence Education.

Expert systems are a core branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), but they are often taught through abstract theory that hinders students' understanding and motivation. This study presents BattleInTheSky, a gamified expert system implemented on the low‐cost Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller using MicroPython. Designed as a hands‐on learning tool for Mechatronics Engineering students, the system uses IF–THEN rules to control hardware components including buttons, an OLED display, and a buzzer. It stores gameplay statistics locally and optionally uploads data remotely, providing an interactive experience that connects AI theory to practical applications. The project integrates symbolic AI, embedded programming, gamification, and principals of ethical design. It was implemented through a constructivist learning sequence in a sixth‐semester Expert System course, guiding students from basic hardware control to the design of fully functional expert systems. A mixed‐methods evaluation assessed technical performance and educational impact. Results showed that students improved their understanding of expert systems by 22.4% (Cohen's d = 1.3) and reported high motivation (mean 4.0/5). Technical evaluation confirmed the system's reliability, responsiveness, and usability in classroom settings. The project also fostered ethical reflection through rule transparency and responsible decision‐making logic. BattleInTheSky demonstrates how low‐cost, transparent, and rule‐based AI systems can promote accessible and engaging AI education. The approach illustrates how transparent, rule‐based systems can support explainable and accessible engineering and computing courses, particularly in resource‐constrained contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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