ERIC Number: EJ1458774
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Mar
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Bonding with Chemistry: A Digital Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Learning Module
Jennifer Newell-Caito; Edward Bernard
Journal of Chemical Education, v101 n3 p1302-1309 2024
Pedagogical research over the past decade has shown that chemistry courses have high failure rates and low accessibility. The implementation of novel active-learning approaches has great potential to offset these trends. Fundamental concepts that serve as "pinch points" are ripe targets for designing innovative, gamified course materials to achieve these goals. As chemical bonding is foundational for understanding of more complex chemistry topics, a "choose-your-own-adventure" digital learning module incorporating humor was designed in Microsoft PowerPoint for use in collegiate inorganic and organic chemistry courses. Pre- and post-module checks were implemented to consider conceptual learning gains, while learner perceptions were assessed with a post-module survey. Data collected from these tools demonstrated significant increases in ability to solve problems related to chemical bonding in inorganic chemistry (p = 0.010, n = 84) and organic chemistry (p = 0.001, n = 44-54). Survey results indicated increased relevance, interest, and utility for learners following completion of the module. Taken together, these results show that the humorous "choose-your-own-adventure" digital learning module represents an exciting alternative to traditional instructional approaches in high-difficulty STEM courses.
Descriptors: Game Based Learning, Educational Technology, Chemistry, Science Education, Active Learning, Scientific Concepts, Humor, Organic Chemistry, Student Attitudes, Problem Solving, Skill Development, Teaching Methods, Instructional Effectiveness
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A