Using a Table Tennis Game, 'Elemental Knock-Out', To Increase Students' Familiarity with Chemical Elements, Symbols, and Atomic Numbers

摘要

A motivating and fun activity for students in introductory chemistry has been designed to increase familiarity with the chemical elements, symbols, and atomic numbers in the periodic table. This activity, Elemental Knock-Out, is a table tennis game, and the gameplay is adapted from a box grid baseball game. Playing in teams for fun and enjoyment, students work cooperatively with others to compete against an opposing team. The game is designed for first-year undergraduate students. The cost of one set of game materials is less than $50. The average time required to complete one game,. i.e., to become familiar with the chemical elements and atomic numbers, is about 120 min for a class of 60 students. This game was implemented with 118 students including different grade classes. The results were interpreted through poll and quiz before and after the activity. The results of the study revealed that most of the students had positive impressions of the game and considered it to be a fun way of interacting with the concepts. The quiz test also showed an increase of average score of the students by playing the game. Table tennis is a sport that anybody at any age can play. Therefore, this game should facilitate the promotion of knowledge of chemistry, e.g., the periodic table of the elements, to the target student group.