The Online Version\nof <i>CHEMCompete-II</i>: An Organic Chemistry Card Game\nto Differentiate Between Substitution\nand Elimination Reactions of Alcohols

Pedagogical games have been used for science teaching\npurposes\nand have yielded successful results. <i>CHEMCompete-II</i>, for example, is an organic chemistry card game designed to help\nstudents differentiate between substitution and elimination reactions\nof alcohols, and has proven to be an effective study tool. However,\ndue to the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of in-person academic\ninstruction, it was impossible to play <i>CHEMCompete-II</i> in-person. Here, we present the online version of <i>CHEMCompete-II</i>, which helps students predict the products of substitution and elimination\nreactions of alcohols, classify the type of these reactions, and draw\nreasonable mechanisms. Thirty-three undergraduate students taking\nintroductory organic chemistry participated in this study. Shortly\nafter receiving two lectures on substitution and elimination reactions\nof alcohols, students attended one of two consecutive workshops to\nplay the game, which occurred on the online-conferencing platform,\nZoom. Pre- and postgameplay surveys and quizzes were developed and\nemployed for data collection. The surveys aimed to evaluate student\nunderstanding of substitution and elimination reactions of alcohols,\nas well as to gather student perceptions and suggestions. Quiz scores\nwere examined in four different ways. Survey data show a general shift\ntoward higher-confidence ratings after gameplay. Moreover, an increase\nin the mean score of the total quiz scores was observed after gameplay,\nsuggesting that the online version of <i>CHEMCompete-II</i> is a potentially effective resource for learning substitution and\nelimination reactions of alcohols in the online learning environment.\nFinally, a comparison between the two formats (in-person and online)\nwill be discussed.