Changing Attitudes toward Organic Chemistry via a Digital Multiplayer Game

Organic chemistry is widely recognized as a challenging subject for students, characterized by its requirement for multilevel thinking, three-dimensional visualization, and extensive new vocabulary. Traditional teaching methods often struggle to provide immediate feedback, cooperative learning opportunities, and sufficient in-class engagement. Game-based learning has emerged as a promising approach to address these challenges, offering interactive environments that promote active learning and peer collaboration. Herein, we implemented ChemPOV, a digital multiplayer game designed to alleviate these commonly encountered teaching gaps. Players move across a hexagonally shaped main board, collecting chemical tiles to complete partially filled synthesis schemes. The game incorporates multiple-choice questions and chance elements featuring two difficulty levels to accommodate various undergraduate syllabi. Our chosen game elements were carefully designed around the main theme of assisted retrosynthetic analysis. This study evaluates ChemPOV’s impact on student attitudes and its effectiveness at supplementing their learning across various domains. The game was trialed with 28 first-year undergraduate chemistry majors taking introductory organic chemistry during a 1.5 h session. Pre- and post-game surveys assessed shifts in student attitudes while collecting student feedback about the gameplay experience and how ChemPOV supplemented student learning. Our results are encouraging, showcasing a modest positive shift in attitudes toward organic chemistry after students played ChemPOV. The game was perceived by students to be fun and exciting, making organic chemistry revision less of a drudge. Students report that ChemPOV helps them engage with organic chemistry concepts and synthesis planning while serving as a tool for self-assessment.