An Engaging Serious Game that Strengthens High School Students’ Understanding of the Periodic Table

This study aimed to strengthen Danish high school students’ understanding of the periodic table by designing a serious game. The study included 46 students from two classes in chemistry. One class with 24 students was included in the experimental study, which employed game-based learning as part of understanding the periodic table. One class with 22 students served as the control group and engaged only in an analog reading of the periodic table. The evaluation consisted of data logging, a knowledge test, a questionnaire with items from the user engagement scale, and interviews with 12 students. The findings revealed the game engaged the students. Students in the experimental gaming group reported significantly higher positive engagement than the control group did. The knowledge test revealed, that in four out of six questions, the gaming group answered more correctly than the control group did. Interestingly, the highest percentage of correct answers was a question linked to a game-designed surprise with an alarm.