“Ethics against Chemistry”: Solving a Crime Using Chemistry Concepts and Storytelling in a History of Science-Based Interactive Game for Middle School Students
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[1] Universidade Do Porto
Universidade Do Porto
Santo Ildefonso, Portugal
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 98, Nº 5, 2021, págs. 1681-1690
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Designing a science activity for middle school children is a challenging task, especially if it aims to be interdisciplinary. One may ask if it is possible to craft a positive learning experience from different areas such as history of science, chemistry, or ethics. In this paper, we argue it can be achieved if we use the right tools to engage a young audience. A combination of gamification, hands-on activities, and storytelling techniques was successfully used, providing a unique form to approach chemistry and ethics subjects in an “edutainment” format. The result is a game that challenges participants to solve a crime, while addressing chemistry topics to gather pieces of evidence and facing science-related ethical conundrums. In our pilot study, participants evaluated this activity positively, identifying the innovation and entertaining features as the most relevant in their gaming experience.
