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Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc

PChem Challenge Game: Reinforcing Learning in Physical Chemistry

Tugba G. Kucukkal*,† and Ajda Kahveci‡
†
Department of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics Program, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue,
NE, Washington, D.C. 20002, United States
‡
College of Science and Health, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, DePaul University, 1110 W. Belden Avenue, Chicago,
Illinois 60614, United States
*
S Supporting Information
Downloaded from pubs.acs.org by VOLUNTEER STATE COMMUNITY COLG on 04/15/19. For personal use only.

ABSTRACT: Physical chemistry has an abstract and

demanding nature, and research reveals that students hold
negative dispositions toward it. The PChem Challenge Game
described in this work is a board game developed to bring an
enjoyable approach to reviewing quantum chemistry, spec-
troscopy, and chemical kinetics concepts at an undergraduate
level. The game rules are neither purely luck- nor knowledge-
based. Therefore, regardless of background knowledge, all
students have a chance to win. As revealed by student and
faculty member comments as well as survey and SWOT
analysis results, the PChem Challenge Game was engaging,
enjoyable, and useful, serving as a tool that provided learning
opportunities. Future educational research is needed to
J. Chem. Educ.

evaluate the effectiveness of the game in different higher education contexts.

KEYWORDS: Upper-Division Undergraduate, Physical Chemistry, Humor/Puzzles/Games, Atomic Spectroscopy,
Quantum Chemistry, Kinetics, Student-Centered Learning

G ames are part of everyday life and are also becoming an

important element of teaching at higher education. Use
of games in higher education is valued not only for their
contribution to a positive learning experience for students but
also for the potential of their wider utilization in reversing the
declining enrollments.1 “Game-based learning” is defined as
“the usage of games in academic education, for example, to
facilitate the illustration of abstract concepts” (ref 2, p. 269).
Findings from the literature suggest that not much is known
about the use of games in higher education classrooms.1,3
Furthermore, in the context of chemistry teaching at the
tertiary level, using games to aid instruction does not appear to
be a common practice.3 Nevertheless, there is evidence from a
limited number of research studies that using game-based
pedagogy to teach chemistry at the higher education level
contributes to enhanced student learning, engagement, or
both.
Daubenfeld and Zenker2 developed a game-based learning
approach in physical chemistry to teach phase equilibria, which
included different components such as digitized learning
materials, memory-like games, and puzzles. Higher student
motivation was reported. A guessing game called “orbital
battleship” was proposed by Kurushkin and Mikhaylenko4
where battleships represented energy subshells of atoms, and
the aim was to guess orbital occupancies. Positive student
feedback was received in terms of higher motivation to study
and increased knowledge of atomic structure. Kavak and
Yamak5 successfully implemented a game, Picture Chem,
© XXXX American Chemical Society and
Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
consisting of a game board and mission cards, to aid students
in learning about common laboratory equipment. Antunes et
al.3 designed and implemented a board game about molecular
geometry, polarity, and intermolecular forces, which was found
to be successful in facilitating student knowledge and
conceptions. A card game called “Go Chemistry” was designed
by Morris,6 in which students use the cards to form the
formulas of ionic and covalent compounds and name them.
Another card game named “ChemKarta”7 was designed for use
in introductory organic chemistry courses to aid the students in
identifying functional groups on molecules. A similar game,
CARBOHYDECK,8 consisting of a deck of cards was aimed at
teaching isomerism of monosaccharides in introductory
biochemistry courses. There are also card games developed
for high school students such as the “Families of Chemical
Elements Game”,9 which functions to enhance the learning
process about the different element groups in periodic table.
Physical chemistry has an abstract and demanding nature in
most of its content areas including quantum mechanics,
spectroscopy, and classical thermodynamics.10 Research has
shown that students have difficulties in learning quantum
mechanics, particularly in connecting quantum behavior to
physical reality.11 Students in chemistry, regardless of status of
Received: October 14, 2018
Revised: March 25, 2019
A DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00757
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Journal of Chemical Education
Figure 1. Game board of the PChem Challenge Game.
academic achievement, are found to hold negative dispositions
especially toward quantum chemistry and statistical thermody-
namics because of their high degree of abstraction and
complexity in mathematical relations.12 Different forms of
active learning are suggested to improve student understanding
of physical chemistry concepts.11
As also observed by the authors of this work, physical
chemistry has an “unfavorable reputation”, because it is
perceived as the hardest chemistry course and, thus, is
approached with negative attitudes by students. This is based
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on the authors’ common observations that students appear to
be often disengaged and unmotivated to learn in physical
chemistry classes. In a nationwide survey about the status of
physical chemistry, Fox and Roehrig13 found that instructors
were in agreement that physical chemistry was a challenging
course, in which students struggled. In this study, continued
research on various student-centered teaching practices that
would enhance student understanding, enthusiasm, and
engagement in physical chemistry is implicated. Therefore,
strategies and methods that improve student engagement,
J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
enjoyment, and motivation are particularly important and
needed.
To enhance peer interactions and bring a different and more
enjoyable approach to learning, a board game was developed
for use in physical chemistry at the undergraduate level. The
main purpose of the game is to enhance student engagement in
learning physical chemistry and to install feelings of enjoyment
while learning. The game also provided opportunities for
making sense of the big ideas in physical chemistry and
establishing connections between them. The PChem Chal-
lenge Game described in this work provides students a fun way
to review the concepts typically covered in one semester of
physical chemistry. Topics included in the game are quantum
chemistry, spectroscopy, and chemical kinetics.
Besides the goals mentioned above, the visual and interactive
nature of the game along with its potential to develop students’
technical American Sign Language (ASL) skills is of particular
importance for our students at Gallaudet University. Gallaudet
University is a federally chartered private university founded
for the education of deaf and hard of hearing. American Sign
Language (ASL) is the language of communication, and
English is used in written communication.
■ GAME MATERIALS
The PChem Challenge Game consists of a game board, 80
question cards, and pawns. The game board involves steps to
proceed from 1 to 100, which are squares of symbols of the
question cards, elements, and backward−forward prompts
(Figure 1). The question cards are divided into the following
four content categories: quantum chemistry, spectroscopy,
chemical kinetics, and fun facts (Table 1). A fifth category is a
Table 1. Categorization of the Question Cards
a
See the Supporting Information for the printable game board and
question cards. bInstructors can add customized questions in any
category.
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wild card, which provides the freedom to choose from any of
the four content categories. Most of the questions were chosen
to be conceptual, requiring a simple understanding of the core
concepts in a typical one-semester undergraduate physical
chemistry course. Some numerical questions are also included
but without requiring complicated calculus. Examples of
question cards in the quantum chemistry and fun facts
categories are provided in Figure 2. The questions and answers
Figure 2. Front and back of question cards in the quantum chemistry
(upper) and fun facts (lower) categories.
are intentionally put on the same side to encourage interaction
and improve learning. The board and card templates are
available in the Supporting Information for color print and
lamination (if preferred). The provided question card
templates give flexibility to the faculty to choose more
numerical or advanced questions of their own or the content
they prioritize. Card holders are recommended if the students
communicate through sign language.
■ GAME MECHANICS
The PChem Challenge Game was designed with traditional
“Snakes and Ladders” game mechanics in mind. The rather
ancient Snakes and Ladders game is completely based on luck,
as the players move the number of steps based on a rolled dice,
and drastic moving ahead or staying behind can happen if a
player lands on a ladder or a snake. The unique feature of the
PChem Challenge Game is that it is neither purely luck- nor
knowledge-based. The game attributes that are built in the
PChem Challenge Game are challenge, assessment, mystery,
and interaction. Most of the questions that the students need
to answer require understanding the concepts and drawing
conclusions. The questions also provide opportunities for
students to self-reflect on their own knowledge and identify
areas of improvement, hence, the assessment aspect testing the
students’ command on the subject matter. The mystery arises
from the randomized prompts on the board as well as whether
the player will hit a “ladder/absorption” to advance or a
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“snake/emission” to slide down. Perhaps the most impactful
attribute is the interaction as the students interact intensely
with one another, because they ask the questions, provide clues
if necessary, judge the answers, remind the rules to one
another, and engage in social conversations. The elements of
the game include questions, rewards, and instant feedback.14
Given that the PChem Challenge Game has both knowledge
and luck mechanics, the students never have to feel shy about
not answering questions correctly. In fact, it is a possibility that
a less competent student has a good chance to win the game.
For example, it is the first author’s experience while using the
game in her classroom that the least competent student won at
the very last move due to hitting a ladder creating an exciting
atmosphere and an unexpected ending to the game. Therefore,
the game is designed in a way to ensure that students learn
while having fun without being embarrassed.
To play the PChem Challenge Game, two or more players
are needed. The rolled dice number is used to determine the
very first step of each player. After that, the players follow the
prompts on the board squares to move further. Attributes that
make a player move forward are answering a question correctly
and landing on a ladder as well as random fun prompts on
board squares. Similarly, attributes that make a player move
backward are an incorrect response to a question, landing on a
snake, and random fun prompts on board squares. The game
may be set to last as long as it takes a player to reach the final
square first, or a predetermined time limit may be used.
The students interact immensely with the game and to some
extent with one another. Student interactions are of social
nature mostly, but they are free to provide hints when their
peers are challenged. In fact, providing hints or rewording the
question is encouraged; in this way, errors gain educational
value and reduce the level of possible discomfort in the player.
The game is turn-based, and losing a turn is contingent upon
arriving at a second question card within the turn. The goal is
to reach the final square first or, if a time limit is set, to be in
the most advanced position on the game board within that
period.
The game rules are summarized as follows
• Everyone places their pawn in the first square labeled as
“Start 1”.
• The player whose name comes first in the alphabet starts
the game. In their initial turn, the players roll a dice to
determine which square they land first. If they ever
return to the start, then they roll a dice again.
• Players take turns in clockwise direction. The player on
the right reads the question card to the player on the left.
• The player answering one question card correctly
advances three squares and follows the prompts. S/he
goes back two squares if the question is answered
incorrectly. In either case, the player stops when s/he
reaches a second question card.
• All question cards that are read out are collected in a
separate pile. If the players run out of cards, then these
cards may be shuffled and reused.
• When a player lands on an absorption event, meaning
that energy is absorbed and an electron is excited, s/he
follows the green arrow backward to “get to know their
energy source”. Absorption events advance players
forward akin to “ladders” in the original game. Similarly,
when a player lands on an emission event, an electron is
emitted, and energy is released, meaning that the player
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“pays their energy bill”, which slides him/her down akin
to “snakes”.
• Players on the squares with an element advance the
number of squares equal to the atomic number of that
element.
• The player who first reaches the final square labeled as
“Finish 100” is the winner. Alternatively, if a timed stop
is agreed upon at the beginning, the player who
progresses most within that time (i.e., is on the highest
numbered square) is the winner.
■ HOW STUDENTS AND FACULTY REACT
The PChem Challenge Game was implemented once, a week
before the final examination of a Physical Chemistry I course in
a small class of five students at Gallaudet University. The
course was a three-credit course, which met 3 h per week with
weekly office hours with the professor (3 h). Throughout its
implementation, the game became an intense medium for
social and academic interaction. The game was played with a
predetermined time limit of 120 min and was ended with the
winning player having reached square 54.
Brief verbal surveys at the time of implementation revealed
that students found the game as a fun and efficient method to
review the concepts. In other words, the students liked playing
the game as a way of reviewing the concepts that they have
already learned. One of the students commented that the game
was “eye-opening” for him to see which concepts he needed to
particularly focus on for the final examination. Another student
suggested the implementation of the game before each
examination. Later, the students were also asked to complete
a survey about using the game in the physical chemistry class.
The survey instrument evaluated the impact of using the game
based on the dimensions of engagement, enjoyment of the
lesson, enjoyment of the game, usefulness of the game, learning
opportunities that the game provided, and preference for
physical chemistry classes in which the game is used. The
engagement construct from Whitton15 and the enjoyment
constructs from Crocco et al.16 and Fang et al.17 were used to
measure these dimensions. To measure the usefulness, learning
opportunities, and preference dimensions, questions developed
by Bourgonjon et al.18 were used.
In total, four of the students answered the survey, which was
requested on a voluntary basis. The students rated the items in
the survey instrument on a five-point Likert scale ranging from
strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). After the negative
items were reverse coded, data were analyzed using spread-
sheets and by computing the total score for each student on
each dimension. The total scores were converted to
percentages, and the mean percentage for each scale was
calculated. The results demonstrate that the students’ ratings
were above 85%, meaning that overall, they strongly agreed
with each dimension (Figure 3). In other words, the students
thought that the PChem Challenge Game was engaging and
enjoyable, the class in which the game was used was enjoyable,
and the game was useful in learning and that it provided
learning opportunities. Furthermore, they indicated their
preference for physical chemistry classes in which the game
was utilized. As an example of the scores and their analysis,
Table 2 shows the items from the usefulness scale with the
ratings breakdown and percentage computations.
The following semester, students and faculty members in the
Department decided to form a chemistry club to promote
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playing the game. The faculty members found the game as an

Figure 3. Student ratings about the different dimensions of the
PChem Challenge Game.
Table 2. Comparative Usefulness Item Ratings and
Percentages
Response Scoresa by Each
Usefulness Items: “Playing the PChem
Challenge Game in the classroom...”
...improves my performance.
...increases my learning productivity.
effective educational tool for enhancing student engagement,
which in their view, was often lacking in courses like physical
chemistry. The faculty also commented that the game was
excellent in improving the students’ technical ASL. With that
being said, the game is noted as a particularly beneficial activity
for Gallaudet’s bilingual classrooms, because it is visual and
interactive.
A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)
analysis was conducted with the two faculty members. In
general, they provided positive feedback about using the game,
mostly centered around enhancing student learning and
interactions. Some of their concerns were about student
acceptance and the need of a larger pool of questions. The
results of this analysis are provided in Figure 4.
The faculty members also commented on whether the game
was useful in helping improve students’ technical ASL or their
scientific terminology in sign language. Both agreed that
Student
playing the game encouraged clear communication between
deaf students, which required proper use of technical ASL. The
I II III IV
students made efforts to communicate in a way that their peers
4 5 4 5 understood the physical chemistry concepts they were trying to
4 5 4 5 convey.

...enhances my effectiveness. 4 5
...helps me to achieve better grades. 4 5
Scale Total (Response score totals could have a 16 20
range of 4−20.)
Total, % (N = 4) 80 100
a
Likert-scale scoring options: 1, strongly disagree; 2, disagree; 3,
neutral; 4, agree; 5, strongly agree.
chemistry within the Deaf community and to encourage
informal learning of chemistry within the department. In the
first informational meeting, a student praised the PChem
Challenge Game that was implemented a semester before and
suggested similar activities for the club so that the members
can sharpen their chemistry knowledge while having fun.
In addition to implementing the game with students, two
chemistry faculty members at Gallaudet University were also
invited to play the game and provide verbal feedback right after
■
4 5
4 5
16 20
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
The PChem Challenge Game has a potential in motivating
80 100 students to study and reinforcing the learning of physical
chemistry concepts, as revealed by student and faculty
comments. A great asset of the game is that it enhances
learning through engaging the students in elaborating on
concepts while having fun. This becomes even more significant
in diverse learning environments, as was the case in this study,
where deaf students reported a positive effect. Positive student
perceptions and attitudes as well as engaging and motivating
strategies are especially important in the context of teaching
physical chemistry because of its recognized unfavorable
reputation. The PChem Challenge Game fills a gap of lack
of instructional tools to enhance student engagement in
learning physical chemistry.

Figure 4. Faculty responses to SWOT questions about the PChem Challenge Game.

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On the basis of experience, it is recommended that the game
is used in lieu of a review session before each test of physical
chemistry during a semester/quarter. The timing is also
important; it should be most productive if the students play the
game at least 3 days before exams so that they have a chance to
work on their identified areas of improvement.
Instructors should be aware that implementing the game in
large-size classes might pose some challenges. In such cases,
the class may be divided into small groups. Multiple games
might be needed, as we suggest up to six players for each game
board. For class sizes with up to 24 students, 3−4 groups may
be formed with each group consisting of 6−8 students. All
groups can play the game at the same time; depending on the
classroom setting, they can use desks or sit on the floor. The
instructor will be walking around in a facilitator role and
provide further explanations if necessary, for topical questions.
Implementing the game in a classroom setting with a white/
blackboard will be an asset, as it can be utilized for further
explanations by students themselves or the instructor. For
larger classes, such as a class of 50 students, the class can be
divided into two and follow our suggestions above for each
half. In this case, half of the class may be facilitated by the
instructor, and the other half may be facilitated by a teaching
assistant. Alternatively, the instructor may hold two separate
sessions at different times for each half of the class.
In order to address the possibility of future cohorts of
students knowing the answers of the questions through
communication with their elder peers, having a larger pool
of questions might be a useful strategy. For example, a pool of
40 questions in each subject may be prepared, and half of it
may be used each time. The chances that the exact same
questions will be seen by students would be every other year.
On the other hand, learning from elder peers might in fact
prove to be a useful way of practicing learning and enhancing
academic achievement.
In this study, academic achievement and the effect of the
game on student learning outcomes were not evaluated. On
the basis of our personal observations and opinions of the
authors, it is possible to say that the game motivated students
to study more. Because of a motivation to win, it is highly likely
that the students would come to another game session more
prepared, which is less likely to occur in regular review
sessions. Furthermore, because the game provides opportu-
nities for students to identify any gaps of knowledge that they
might have and that they would have additional time to study
before the tests, it is very likely that using the game has a
positive impact on students’ academic achievement in physical
chemistry. Another aspect of the game that might help
students learn better is that students asking the questions find
themselves further explaining the question or providing clues
as they see the answer on the card. Therefore, not only the
player who is trying to answer a question but also the player
who is reading the question to others is learning.
Future educational research is needed to evaluate the effect
of implementing the PChem Challenge Game on various
factors such as student perceptions, motivation, level of
engagement, interest, attitudes, and subsequently the achieve-
ment. Studies may be designed in pre- and post-test format, or
including control groups, in order to measure differences in
these variables across groups or across time for one group. The
game can be easily adapted to other chemistry courses by
changing the questions and their categories. Studies may be
conducted with larger samples of students to evaluate the game
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in terms of enjoyment, engagement, and usefulness aspects. In
this regard, an additional study is underway to provide data on
a larger student sample in different institutions. In addition, a
digital version of the game is being developed in our lab to
include more interactive components and align the game with
the necessities of today’s digital world.
■
*
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S Supporting Information
The Supporting Information is available on the ACS
Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00757.
PChem Challenge Game Board (PDF)
PChem Challenge Game Question Cards (PDF)
■
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: tugba.kucukkal@gallaudet.edu.
ORCID
Tugba G. Kucukkal: 0000-0002-2559-2001
Ajda Kahveci: 0000-0002-3394-6914
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We acknowledge the participation of the students and faculty
at Gallaudet University in the implementation of the game and
are grateful for their favorable feedback.
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