Enhancing Student Engagement in General Chemistry with Classroom Games

Many general chemistry instructors struggle to maintain student attention and interest during class. Educational games can enhance lecture material and increase student engagement in the classroom and beyond. In this study, eight classroom games were developed to reinforce key skills in the first semester of General Chemistry, including calculator operations, dimensional analysis, periodic table trends, naming and formula writing, stoichiometry, solubility rules, and chemical reactions. Some games were played individually, while others involved collaborative teams. The activities were implemented over seven semesters across two campuses with three instructors. Students were surveyed about their overall experiences and perceptions of each game. Overall, students reported that the games made the class more enjoyable (average rating of 4.6 out of 5) and enhanced their learning (average rating of 4.2 out of 5). Across the individual activities, students also consistently reported that the games improved their understanding, helped identify concepts requiring further study, and increased interaction with classmates. Between 74% and 94% of students indicated that the games helped them recognize areas needing additional attention. These results suggest that incorporating competitive games into the General Chemistry classroom can increase engagement and support student learning. Similar game-based activities may be beneficial in other chemistry courses as well.