ERIC Number: EJ1486918
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Gamifying a General Chemistry Laboratory Course as a Strategy to Improve the Students' Motivation
José Nunes da Silva Júnior1; Maria do Socorro Caldas Teotônio1; Maria Elenir Nobre Pinho Ribeiro1; Jeanny da Silva Maciel1; Alda Karine Medeiros Holanda1; Francisca Gleyciara Cavalcante Pinheiro1; Maria Clara de Oliveira Alexandre2; David Salviano de Oliveira2; Antonio Jose´ Melo Leite Junior2
Journal of Chemical Education, v102 n10 p4508-4518 2025
This article describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of the gamification of laboratory activities in a General Chemistry course at the Federal University of Ceará in Brazil. In the gamified laboratory, seven experiments traditionally performed in the course were transformed into ten missions, incorporating game elements such as experience points (XP), virtual coins, and physical rewards to increase student engagement. Gamification was implemented in five classes--two from the Food Engineering program and three from the Pharmacy program--totaling 91 students. Participants evaluated it positively as an alternative to traditional teaching methodologies, in which students merely reproduce procedures in a laboratory. The results indicate that, when properly implemented with educational technologies and clearly defined pedagogical objectives, gamification can be a transformative tool for experimental teaching. It promotes active and collaborative learning while offering a replicable model that supports autonomy, competence, and social interaction in the learning process.
Descriptors: Gamification, Science Laboratories, Chemistry, Science Experiments, Game Based Learning, College Students, Student Attitudes, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Foreign Countries
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 - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Brazil
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60451-970 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil; 2UFC Virtual, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60440-454 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

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