How effective is the computer game model for teaching chemistry?

1
How effective is the computer game model for
teaching chemistry?

• Kermin Joel Martínez-Hernández
• Gabriela C. Weaver
• Department of Chemistry
• Chemical Education Division
• Purdue University

2
Overview

• Student feedback about game playing.
• What makes the students adept at playing
  with them.
• Develop computer games for teaching chemistry
  concepts.

3
Prior Findings AboutGames in Education

• PC games develop the curiosity to learn
  concepts" Thomas and Macredie, in Amory, et al.
  (1999).
• PC games stimulated and motivated the
  students and provide a way to present microworlds
  to learners Rieber, (1996).
• PC games can be a positive feature of a healthy
  adolescence Durkin, et al. (2002)

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Goals

• Adapt the engaging and addictive elements of
  commercial games to educational games that help
  students learn chemistry.
• Develop PC games that can be used to teach
  chemistry.
• Understand the cognitive processes that students
  undergo when they play computer games.

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Research Questions for Overall Project

• What do students enjoy when they use computer
  games, and what factors motivate them to play?
• How can we use games to teach chemistry?
• Can students gain conceptual understanding from
  using a computer game environment?

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Research Design

• Phase I (Summer and Fall 2003)
• Comparative study of 7 games.
• Data Collection included
• Demographic Surveys
• Survey about game play
• Observations during game play
• Interviews after each game played
• Analyze data to examine the characteristics of
  games that are engaging and help students learn.

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Research Design, cont.

• Phase II (This Summer)
• Students will play Chemicus in addition to
  attending their general chemistry class where the
  same concepts are taught.
• Game players will be compared to a control group
  who carry out chemistry study activities, but do
  not play the game.
• Pre and post content tests are used to asses
  changes in student understanding using
  chemistry-related games.
• Think-aloud methods are used to monitor student
  activities during game play.

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Research Design, cont.

• Phase III (Fall 2004)
• Use the findings from Phase I and II to develop
  new computer games with the goal of teaching
  chemistry topics.
• Phase IV
• Test the game with students to get their
  feedback about the game developed in Phase III.
• Conduct a similar study as Phase II but with the
  developed game.
• Verify student understanding and clarifications
  of misconceptions about chemistry topics inside
  the game.

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Phase I Details and Discussion
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Discussion

• Volunteers and students sample
• Students from different disciplines
• mathematics
• engineering (freshman, civil, mechanical, and
  aerospace)
• science (health sciences, computer sciences)
• liberal arts
• Description of sessions
• Students play 4 (1 c.h.) or 7 (2 c.h.) games for
  a total of 6 hours per game.
• Complete a survey after 1st hour of game playing
  and at the end of 6 hours.
• Complete an interview with standardized
  open-ended questions (takes about 15 min.)

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Games Evaluated
1st Person Shooter
Strategy
Role Playing Game (RPG)
Chemicus
Adventure (puzzle)
Simulation (Flight/Action)
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Phase I Research Questions

• What do students like and enjoy about PC Games?
• What makes PC games addictive?
• What are the characteristics of the game that are
  engaging and enjoyable for students?

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Interpretation of Results
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Demographic Survey
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Race Distribution
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Gender Comparison
5Completely Agree ? 1Strongly Disagree
Like strategy games
Like war games
Enjoy playing PC games
Like educational games
Play game as hobby
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Interpretation

• Gender
• Males use computers more hours per week than
  females 8.7 vs. 7.7 hours/week (p.052).
• Males play computer games more often 5.9 vs.
  2.7 times/week (p.002).

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Interpretation, cont.

• Likert Scale Questions
• 5Strongly agree and 1Completely disagree
  (plt.05)
• Males enjoy playing PC games more 4.8 vs. 4.2.
• Males play PC games as a hobby 4.7 vs. 2.5.
• Females like educational games more 3.3 vs.
  2.5.
• Males like war games more 4.13 vs. 2.94
• Both prefer action/adventure games most. (Males
  4.3 vs. Females 4.1).

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Interpretation, cont.

• Ethnicity
• Hispanic use computers for more hours per week
  (9.0 vs. 8.1 hours/week plt.01)
• Not Hispanic play more computer games (7.5 vs.
  7.0 times/week plt.05)

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What makes a good PC game? (WMGPC Survey)
Likert Scale (5Strongly Agree ?1Completely
Disagree)
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WMGPC
Table 1. Student high and low responses
(REDFemales high, BLUEMales High)
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Game Playing Survey (GPS) Likert Scale
(5Strongly Agree ?1Completely Disagree)
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GPS
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Interpretation of Data

• What makes a good PC game? Survey (WMGPC)
• Overall Females prefer Age of Empires
  (Strategy).
• Males prefer Neverwinter Nights (Role Playing
  Game) and Battlefield 1942 (1st Person
  Shooter).
• Both dislike Flight Simulator (Simulation) and
  Chemicus (Action/Adventure).

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Interpretation of Data, cont.

• Game Playing Survey (GPS)
• Both prefer the sounds and graphics of
  Neverwinter Nights (RPG) (4.56 and 4.25)
• Both prefer Age of Empires II (strategy) as type
  of game (4.44) (?- Females). Males also like
  Neverwinter Nights (RPG) (4.44)
• Females prefer the story line of Age of Empires
  (strategy), while Males like Neverwinter Nights
  (RPG).
• Both agree that you need reflexes for Battlefield
  (1st person shooters) (Males 5.00 vs. Females
  4.67).

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Interpretation of Data, cont.

• Both think that you need problem solving skills
  for Chemicus (action/adventure-puzzle) (Males
  4.67 vs. Females 4.47)
• Both agree that the most challenging game was
  Chemicus (action/adventure-puzzle) (Males 4.40
  and Females 4.35)
• Females think that the most enjoyable game was
  Age of Empires II (strategy) and Males think that
  was Neverwinter Nights (RPG). However, Males
  also classify Battlefield as most enjoyable.
• Both agree that Battlefield provides the greatest
  opportunity to improve with practice.

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MANOVA (Multiple Analysis of Variances)

• Comparison of Game vs. Game per Question

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WMGPC
Q. No. Criteria Game Mean Game comparison that was statistically significant (plt.01)
6 Game design has energy AOE2 BF1942 4.04 4.27 CHEM, FS2002, MYST and SC4 CHEM, FS2002, MYST and SC4
8 Game has strong structure AOE2 NWN 4.24 4.06 CHEM and FS2002 CHEM and FS2002
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GPS
Q. No. Criteria Game Mean Game comparison that was statistically significant (plt.01) and (plt.05).
1 Sound and Graphics NWN 4.29 CHEM, FS2002, and MYST
2 Type of Game AOE2 NWN 4.43 4.29 CHEM, FS2002, MYST, and SC4 CHEM, FS2002, MYST, and SC4
14 Challenging CHEM 4.33 FS2002
15 Addictive AOE2 4.16 CHEM, FS2002, MYST, and SC4
20 Fun to play AOE2 NWN BF1942 4.41 4.15 4.09 CHEM, FS2002, MYST, and SC4 CHEM, FS2002, MYST, and SC4 CHEM, FS2002, and MYST
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Conclusions

• Sounds and graphics, type of game,
  visualizations, and improvement with practice
  were important aspects for the students in the
  games.
• Top 3 preferred game genres
• RPG Neverwinter Nights
• Strategy Age of Empires II
• 1st Person Shooter Battlefield 1942
• Females preferred strategy games.
• Males preferred role playing game.

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Conclusions, cont.

• A mixture of these two genre (RPG and strategy)
  is a good possibility to apply in a successful
  game.
• Game designs that have a strong structure and
  energy were preferred by students.
• Students dislike Chemicus, the chemistry related
  game.
• Chemicus does not use the best game playing
  elements.

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References

• Amory, A., Naicker, K., Vincent, J., Adams, C.
  (1999). The use of computer games as an
  educational tool identification of appropriate
  game types and game elements. British Journal of
  Educational Technology. 30 (4), 311-321.
• Durkin, K Barber, B. (2002). No so doomed
  computer game play and positive adolescent
  development. Applied Developmental Psychology.
  23, 374-392.
• Rieber, L. P. (1996). Seriously considering play
  designing interactive learning environments based
  on the blending of microworlds, simulations, and
  games. Educational Technology, Research and
  Development. 44, 5-22.

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Questions
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Recommendations

• New games need to be developed to address
  chemistry concepts.
• Further studies need to be conducted to determine
  why Chemicus does not provide a learning
  environment for the students.
• More work needs to be performed to identify the
  cognitive process of students when learning
  occurs with using PC games.