Learn chemistry by playing games!
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By seeing my interest in cricket when I was a kid (I am only 17), my mum has said this: “If you had shown the same level of interest in your studies too, you would have become first in the class.” I am sure all of us have faced this question. Children have a natural interest and curiosity in some activities (e.g. games, computers, etc.); if we take such activities as a medium to teach them their regular lessons there is chance that they will understand the subject better. Modern educators are going in this direction in teaching chemistry.
Instead of using books, beakers and test tubes, students battle aliens and other mysterious forces that are trying to destroy the earth by increasing global warming.
Using gaming technology to supplement science instruction involves a different level of interactivity for students. Listening to lectures and taking tests is not authentic to the real world and the way we learn concepts. - Carlos Morales, an associate professor of computer graphics technology at Purdue University in Indiana.
In each room, there is a chemistry-based challenge that the student must perform to go to the next level. If all the challenges are met, a nuclear reactor is blown up and the planet is saved. If done correctly, the user will be able to save the planet from global warming by thwarting the aliens’ plans and destroying the reactor.
Although it will never replace traditional teaching, I believe it could lower student trepidation about chemistry and reinforce what is taught in the classroom.
[tags]chemistry, teach, learn, education, traditional teaching, educator[/tags]
4 Comments
marc klink
April 9th, 2007
at 3:51am
When I was in high school and seventeen, I had already been through chemistry the year before. I wanted to go into chemistry as a profession, so I signed up for something called California Education Club, which was a way to be a sort of student teacher. I used to hold class sometimes, because the chemistry teacher was also the football coach, and had other stuff to do. I used to try to make the experiments as much fun as they could be for the class as I knew many of them would learn more that way. I have often wondered why I never became a teacher, and also why more things are not taught in an enjoyable fashion. We would not have such an education crisis if people enjoyed learning more.
As for your example, learning by ACTUALLY doing is the best way as far as I am concerned. I was just thinking, as I read this, about an Easter experiment I had set up, so that all the reagents were of different colors after the reaction took place. We had some interesting mixes of color, and everyone said they really liked it. It became the way I taught from then on. Today, I work on computers, but every now and then someone requests some instruction, and I still try to use a game to make the learning fun.
Michael B. Johnson
April 11th, 2007
at 3:10am
Blowing up a nuclear reactor as a premise for halting Global Warming?!!!
I like the idea of making chemistry fun, but because of the story-line I will ~not~ introduce this to my kids.
Besides, not all scientists concur with the hypothesis of Homo Sapiens having much affect on the world’s climate - after factoring in volcanic activity and animals; nuclear energy, least of all!
Michael B. Johnson
April 11th, 2007
at 3:10am
affect => effect
(Mia culpa)
Nuke M. Whilewecan
April 16th, 2007
at 10:06am
This approach could serve dual purposes. You could teach Chemistry and Political Science with the same game. Just make sure that the invaders are Iranian Aliens.