In the face of accelerating digitalisation and societal challenges such as disinformation and algorithmic bias, teachers require more than technical know-how; they need a foundational understanding of how digital technologies work. Without insight into these "black boxes", educators will remain dependent on opaque systems and may be unable to guide their students through a digitised world critically.

This contribution presents a design-based research project in teacher education that closes this gap by combining computational thinking with subject-specific pedagogy. Over three iterative cycles, pre-service teachers from various disciplines collaboratively developed civic education games using the block-based programming language Scratch. The aim was to foster digital literacy and an understanding of basic computer science through a format that is both accessible and pedagogically meaningful, without requiring a background in computer science.

The seminar design draws on two complementary models from different disciplines: the PECC model by Spieler (2022), which is rooted in computer science education and focuses on playing, engagement, creativity, and creation; and the didactic triangle by Sowa (2015), which was developed in art education and highlights the interplay of craftsmanship, design, and content. Building on these frameworks, a new integrated model was developed to structure seminar planning and evaluate both learning processes and game-based student products. This approach fosters active engagement, structured reflection, and the effective integration of digital skills into classroom practice.

By the third cycle, students had produced playable prototypes and implemented their games in real schools. Reflections and interview data demonstrate an increasing awareness of the pedagogical and ethical dimensions of computer science, as well as growing confidence in applying digital tools to subject-specific contexts. Participants described how programming their own games had enabled them to transition from passive tool users to active designers of digital learning environments.

The seminar places strong emphasis on collaboration, as programming is inherently a communicative process. This collaborative experience enables student teachers to reflect on teamwork, problem-solving and design decisions. These are skills they can later pass on to their own students. When future teachers implement subject-embedded programming projects in their classrooms, they extend and complement formal computer science education and contribute to a broader understanding of digital literacy. In doing so, they not only meet current educational needs, but also respond to the growing demand from employers for graduates with foundational digital skills.

This paper argues for the broader integration of foundational computer science education across all subjects and emphasises the potential of game development, as organised by the suggested model, to provide teachers with valuable, transferable and forward-looking training.

This format will be tested and further developed in collaboration with international partner universities as part of a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP).

Acknowledgement:
The project is funded by the German Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education (Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre).

Keywords: Teacher Education, Game-Based Learning, Computational Thinking, Digital Literacy, Design-Based Research, Civic Education, Block-Based Programming.