ChemBlaster

Overview

ChemBlaster is a fast-paced on-line flash game that gives students experience learning and practicing their knowledge of elemental sympols, ions, and polystomic compounds. The game combines simple, yet engaging visuals with an easy to learn game mechanic to create a compelling gameplay experience that leads students through multiple levels of chemical complexity.

Motivation

Memorization is one of the most important elements of any introductory level chemistry course. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult for many students to master. To help address this problem, the Educational Gaming Commons, Education Technology Services, and Dr. Mary Shoemaker have developed “ChemBlaster”: a simple, web based game designed to help Chemistry 101 students overcome one of their greatest chemistry education challanges.

Objectives

1. Give students experience connecting the correct ion symbols, charges, and names based on the periodic table and 53 faculty identified ions (type 1, type 2, and polyatomic ions).
2. Help students to learn 40 common elements and their chemical symbol

Results

Conference Presentations: 2010 Bienniel Conference on Chemical Education (BCEE): August 2010; Denton, TX ChemBlaster: On-line educational game for learning ions and ion charge

Play

Visit the game page to play!