Tap It Fast! Playing a Molecular Symmetry Game for Practice and

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Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

Tap It Fast! Playing a Molecular Symmetry Game for Practice and Formative Assessment of Students’ Understanding of Symmetry Concepts Ricardo Dagnoni Huelsmann, Andrei Felipe Vailati, Lucas Ribeiro de Laia, Patrícia Salvador Tessaro, and Fernando Roberto Xavier* Departamento de Química, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Joinville, SC CEP 89219-710, Brazil S Supporting Information *

ABSTRACT: Nowadays, there is a lot of discussion regarding teaching methods, their characteristics and potential, as well as their limitations. Aiming to encourage new methodologies for the teaching of chemistry in higher education, a novel didactic game was developed and applied in order to provide parallel support to undergraduate chemistry students learning about molecular symmetry. This educational resource was well-accepted by the students and was found to be a ludic evaluation tool for the study of symmetry. The game was applied to undergraduate chemistry sophomores and was found to be a powerful tool to improve students’ skills in several topics, including molecular geometry, spatial molecular projections, and electronic and vibrational spectroscopy. During the activities, students participated by sharing their doubts about the presence of symmetry. In this paper, we report and discuss the results of the experimental use of this new resource developed for the teaching of molecular symmetry. KEYWORDS: Second-Year Undergraduate, Upper-Division Undergraduate, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Humor/Puzzles/Games, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Group Theory/Symmetry

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INTRODUCTION The use of new methods in undergraduate education is growing and proving to be a differentiated and effective learning strategy.1−3 Among the new methods and instruments available are didactic games, which can provide an active and playful learning environment and can also be used as a revision, practice, and evaluation tool.1,4,5 Being a source that involves interaction and cooperative learning, games can improve the development of knowledge in various science areas, besides having the competitiveness factor, which boosts the acquisition of knowledge.6 Studies have shown that games also allow the students to experience “peer learning”.7 Educational games can transform the heavy atmosphere of traditional disciplines to provide a new model of meaningful learning,7 reducing the tension and building bridges between science and the students’ understanding.2 An appropriate didactic game can enhance the students’ comprehension of more complex chemistry concepts, acting as an instrument to facilitate this process: given the engaging characteristic of the games, the students are encouraged to reflect about their learning7

optical activity, interpret electronic spectra, and study a number of additional molecular properties.8 Especially in inorganic chemistry, students have difficulty in observing and identifying the symmetry elements in molecules.9 Thus, there is a need to develop new methodologies and instruments that help overcome these barriers. Notable source material on symmetry teaching is available at the Web site “Symmetry@Otterbein” designed by D. H. Johnston, where students can interact with 3D rendered molecules and pinpoint symmetry operations.10 With a better understanding of molecular symmetry, it is easier to approach more difficult concepts in inorganic chemistry, such as group theory and spectroscopy.8 Educational Objectives

The creative aspect of methods developed for the teaching of chemistry concepts can be observed in several research studies.8,9,11,12 The game “Tap it fast!”, described herein, provides parallel support for the teaching of symmetry, aimed at developing observation skills and quick reasoning around this theme, in a way which is attractive to the students. The game should be applied after the symmetry lectures and discussions and prior to the evaluations and tests.

Symmetry Teaching

Symmetry concepts are extremely useful in chemistry. By analyzing the symmetry of molecules, we can predict infrared/ Raman spectra, describe orbitals used in bonding, predict © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Received: November 8, 2017 Revised: April 25, 2018

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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00849 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

Journal of Chemical Education

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By applying this to the teaching of sophomores, it was possible to evaluate their understanding of the topic, besides encouraging their development, following a facilitative strategy, given the playfulness and comprehensiveness of the subject matter. The game also allows students to perform a selfevaluation, since their performance in the game elucidates the scope of their knowledge on the theme.

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GAME PRODUCTION The game is easily reproduced since it requires only printed paper cards, which can be plasticized to improve their durability. The game is played with three groups of cards, as outlined below: • Group 1 corresponds to 30 cards containing distinct structural representations of organic and inorganic molecules (Figure 1). This group has smaller and easier molecules for a warm up. Figure 2. Examples of Group 2 cards.

Figure 3. Examples of Group 3 cards. Figure 1. Examples of Group 1 cards.

tap, as fast as they can, a card which contains a molecule with the symmetry operation read by the referee. The referee needs to note which student is the first to touch a card containing a molecule with this symmetry operation. This player collects that card (i.e., wins a point) and keeps it until the end of the game. When collecting the card, the player explains their choice, describing the relevant symmetry element on the card to their colleagues and the referee, besides discussing the theme and helping all students to learn. In cases of error, a player who has tapped a card with a molecule that does not show the symmetry operation read by the referee will not win a point, leaving the card tapped on the table. The referee then points out the mistake and provides examples of the correct choice. In each round the referee announces a new operation (randomly). The players analyze the cards available and tap, as fast as possible, the card (or maybe cards) with that symmetry operation. In the case of multiple answers on the table (e.g., if the referee calls the “E” operation, which all of the cards show), the student who taps one first wins the point. There may be instances where the symmetry operation requested by the referee does not exist on the cards left on the table (available cards). In this case, the players evaluate the situation (i.e., they do not find molecules with such an operation), and the one who verbally states first that there is no

• Group 2 contains another 30 cards, this time with different coordination compounds varying both the metals and ligands (Figure 2). • Group 3 consists of 24 cards containing the symmetry operations present in the molecules of Groups 1 and 2 (some of the cards show the same operations), as shown in Figure 3. Printable card templates for all the groups are provided in the Supporting Information.

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GAME PLAYING The students are oriented to form teams containing between two and six players. Each team receives one game kit (the three groups of cards) and is assigned a referee to monitor the game. Initially, the first 30 cards (organic and inorganic molecules, Group 1) are distributed randomly on the table in a way that allows them to be easily seen and accessed by all players. The referee is responsible for controlling the cards in Group 3 (symmetry operations), preventing prior access and observation by the players. In each round, the referee picks one card of Group 3 and reads the symmetry operation on it out loud (ensuring that all of the team players can hear it). The goal is for the students to B



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Figure 4. Evaluation results according to the Likert Scale (SA= Strongly agree, A = Agree, N = Neutral, D = Disagree, and SD = Strongly disagree).

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The game was applied twice in inorganic chemistry lessons in the first (2017-1) and second (2017-2) semesters of 2017, the classes having 19 and 24 second-year undergraduate students, respectively. During the activities, it was noted that the students actively participated, talking enthusiastically about the theme and their doubts. At the end of the activity, a game evaluation form was applied. On the basis of the Likert Scale, the results given by the students in the two groups were excellent, as seen in Figure 4. On the basis of the student responses, it is possible to reinforce the importance of using didactic games in chemistry lessons. The students agreed that the playful nature of the game helped them to elucidate doubts regarding their understanding of symmetry, and the collective spirit, with students helping each other, was a major aspect in the success of the game. With the first question in Figure 4, the game was assessed as an instrument to evaluate the students’ understanding of symmetry. According to both classes and all of the students, the game is an effective method, and it can be used as an evaluation tool for learning and self-assessment by the student along with evaluation by the teacher. The second question revealed the importance of the didactic approach, which aided the application of an understanding of symmetry, since 93% of the students agreed with the affirmation and none disagreed (only 7% were neutral). This may have led to the excellent responses to the last two questions, where the students affirmed that the didactic strategy allowed self-evaluation of the learning difficulties, promoting evolution and significant improvement.

card available on the table with such an operation wins the point. The final winner is the player with the highest number of cards (points) at the end of 24 rounds (note that all of the Group 3 cards remain with the referee). In the next game, the 30 coordination compounds in Group 2 are distributed on the table, as in the previous game. The referee then uses the same symmetry operation cards of Group 3 (previously shuffled), and the new game starts. Once again, at the end, the player who has achieved the most points wins. The overall winner is the student with the highest total number of points from rounds 1 and 2, small molecules and coordination compounds, respectively. In the case of a tie, all of the cards from Groups 1 and 2 are placed on the table, and only the players whose scores tied dispute an extra round, in which the operation is selected by the referee. In the case of big classes, it is recommended that the students are initially divided into smaller teams (at least 3 or 4). Later, at the end of the initial games, the winning student of each team qualifies for a final match with the winners of the other teams. In this case, all 60 cards (30 simple molecules and 30 coordination compounds) are mixed and distributed on the table, and the player who gains the most points is considered the “Symmetry Master”. As a further option, where time is not a restriction, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the game by including, in each round, a discussion about the symmetry operation of the card picked. Here, the lecturer/instructor could add or subtract cards of certain molecules of interest to illustrate given symmetry elements and/or add a symmetry operation not currently included in Group 3 (e.g., an inversion center (i)). C



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Finally, the activity serves as a formative, rather than quantitative or numerical, evaluation. It is useful for the lecturer/instructor to assess students’ difficulties outside the classical context of undergraduate subjects (lists of exercises and theoretical tests).

The benefits of applying the activity developed can also be observed quantitatively in the average scores (in percentages) obtained by the students in the lessons with and without the application of the game (Figure 5). In classes that did not

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ASSOCIATED CONTENT

S Supporting Information *

The Supporting Information is available on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00849. Cards with organic and inorganic molecules (PDF, DOCX) Cards with coordination compounds (PDF, DOCX) Cards with symmetry operations (PDF, DOCX)

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Figure 5. Student scores (percentage attained) with and without the application of the game.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: [email protected]. ORCID

Ricardo Dagnoni Huelsmann: 0000-0001-6103-101X Fernando Roberto Xavier: 0000-0002-2056-4052

participate in this didactic activity, the average score was less than 50%, while for classes that participated in the game the score was much higher, approaching and even surpassing the minimum required for passing this discipline (70%). In all cases, the classes were taught by the same lecturer, and the evaluations were based on the same methodology for the theme of symmetry, including the written tests. Thus, we could quantitatively evaluate the students’ results and compare the scores for the different classes. The game did not just provide benefits to the students but also to the teacher, who could evaluate the students on the basis of their participation and discussion. For some students, the strategy allowed their difficulties in relation to the symmetry operations studied to be identified and subsequently overcome with the aid of their classmates and the educator. Although the evidence of joy and fun associated with the game could not be quantitatively measured when compared with a standard class, the enhancement of the student/student relationships when the chemical subject (symmetry operations) was discussed could be clearly noted. Peer-to-peer interaction is a powerful way to improve the students’ knowledge.

Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the students who fully agreed to participate in the game activities during the 2017-1 and 2017-2 semesters. Many thanks to Tânia Neumann Barroso and the Department of Chemistry for the material used in the game.

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REFERENCES

(1) Capps, K. Chemistry Taboo: An Active Learning Game for the General Chemistry Classroom. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85 (4), 518−518. (2) Najdi, S.; Sheikh, R. E. Educational Games: Do They Make A Difference? Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 2012, 47, 48−51. (3) Green, M. L. H.; Parkin, G. Application of the Covalent Bond Classification Method for the Teaching of Inorganic Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (6), 807−816. (4) Zhang, X. Acid−Base Poker: A Card Game Introducing the Concepts of Acid and Base at the College Level. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (5), 606. (5) Angelin, M.; Ramström, O. Where’s Ester? A Game That Seeks the Structures Hiding Behind the Trivial Names. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87 (4), 406. (6) Kurushkin, M.; Mikhaylenko, M. Orbital Battleship: A Guessing Game to Reinforce Atomic Structure. J. Chem. Educ. 2016, 93 (9), 1595. (7) Rastegarpour, H.; Marashi, P. The effect of card games and computer games on learning of chemistry concepts. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 2012, 31, 597. (8) Fuchigami, K.; Schrandt, M.; Miessler, G. L. Discovering Symmetry in Everyday Environments: A Creative Approach to Teaching Symmetry and Point Groups. J. Chem. Educ. 2016, 93 (6), 1081. (9) Flint, E. Teaching Point-Group Symmetry with Three-Dimensional Models. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88 (7), 907. (10) Johnston, D. H. Symmetry@Otterbein. http://symmetry. otterbein.edu/index.html (accessed Mar 2018). (11) Scalfani, V. F.; Vaid, T. P. 3D Printed Molecules and Extended Solid Models for Teaching Symmetry and Point Groups. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (8), 1174.

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CONCLUSIONS A simple and low cost new didactic game involving molecular symmetry was developed and tested in two inorganic chemistry classes over a period of two semesters (2017-1 and 2017-2). This material demonstrated good potential as a form of extra support for second-year chemistry students. The application of the game favored the ability of the lecturer of this subject to assess the knowledge level of the students, as well as their difficulties in relation to molecular symmetry in a playful and spontaneous way. The game can also be expanded with different molecules and complexes or reduced for application in a shorter time. The game covers both organic molecules and inorganic complexes and can be used for assessments and introduced in group theory or exercises in lessons to practice these topics. Another aspect that demonstrates the potential of the game is its easy replication and low cost production, making use of easily accessible material that benefits student learning in a playful and interactive way. D



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(12) Chen, L.; Sun, H.; Lai, C. Teaching Molecular Symmetry of Dihedral Point Groups by Drawing Useful 2D Projections. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92 (8), 1422.

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Tap It Fast! Playing a Molecular Symmetry Game for Practice and

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