Assessment of the Effectiveness of “Thermika,” a Serious Game, in Teaching Thermochemistry

Abstract

With the emergence of novel advanced technologies, innovations in educational research have allowed the integration of learning into game-based approaches. As students view chemistry as a complicated subject, inadequate performance in the subject is observed. Game-based materials were shown to increase performance in their chosen subjects, and as such, this study aims to improve the performance of students in thermochemistry using a game-based approach called “Thermika.” The evaluation of the app's suitability shows that the game is suitable, gaining a mean of 4.58. Analysis of the pre-test and post-test scores from participants who have participated in either the individual or group-based application of the intervention showed a significant difference (p<0.001) in their scores, which favored the post-test. This statistical significance is further supported by the approximately equal normalized gain score of 0.180 (g=0.180) of both groups and the respective effect sizes of 0.802 and 0.708 for the individual and group-based interventions, which ascertains the game’s practical significance as having a large effect. As implied by the evaluations and tests done to determine the statistical and practical significance of the application of the intervention, “Thermika” proved to be a suitable and effective pedagogical tool for improving performance and understanding in thermochemistry.