SBIR Phase I: Game-based learning for organic chemistry using mechanisms

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目，使有机化学学生的理论触摸通过建立一个基于机制的移动的设备的游戏。机理是键断裂和键形成事件的图，说明有机反应物如何转化为产物。这一基本概念是有机化学教学和实践中使用的有力工具。有机化学传统上是学生进入STEM职业的门户课程，如医学和工程。该课程以30- 50%的流失率赢得了路障的声誉。代表性不足的少数民族和第一代学生的不及格率甚至高于一般学生。学生以前在化学或其他科学方面的学习并没有为掌握有机化学所需的结构和模式识别的认知负荷做好充分的准备。本计画将制作一个机械游戏，并为化学学习带来一个触觉介面。该游戏旨在跨越整个课程，进入研究生水平。该机制游戏的可访问性和相对经济的成本结构对需要在有机化学方面取得优异成绩以实现职业目标的学生市场特别有吸引力。该项目的技术创新是使用触摸屏，基于游戏的格式提供化学机理的内容。通过在游戏的用户界面中分层音频，视觉和动觉提示，学生将“感受”键断裂和制造，酸度和共鸣。机制游戏是一种内在的激励系统，让学生知道他们何时正确地通过反应机制，帮助学生获得在有机化学中取得成功所必需的直觉。这个项目的重要部分是这个新的学习工具作为一个游戏的发展，而不是一个互动教程。这项研究将集中在通过在游戏开发过程中与玩家进行现场测试来创建引人入胜的游戏的迭代过程上。该项目的技术挑战是设计一个游戏，可以容忍学术化学家的科学审查，同时保持吸引力，甚至休闲游戏玩家。成功的关键指标将是与化学教授和教师一起测试机制游戏，以确定他们是否会向有机化学学生推荐该游戏。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project makes the theoretical touchable for organic chemistry students by building a game for mobile devices based on mechanisms. Mechanisms are maps of bond-breaking and bond-making events illustrating how an organic reactant is transformed into a product. This underpinning concept is a powerful tool used both in the teaching and the practice of organic chemistry. Organic chemistry is traditionally the gateway class for students progressing into STEM careers, such as medicine and engineering. The course has earned its roadblock reputation with attrition rates in the range of 30-50%. The fail-rate for under-represented minorities and first generation students is even higher than that of the general student population. Students' previous learning in chemistry or other sciences does not adequately prepare them for the cognitive load of structure and pattern recognition required to master organic chemistry. This project will produce the mechanism game and bring a tactile interface to learning chemistry. The game is designed to span the entire curriculum, into graduate levels. The accessibility and relatively economical cost-structure of the mechanism game is particularly attractive to the market of students needing to excel in organic chemistry to achieve their career goals.The technical innovation of this project is delivering the content of chemical mechanisms using a touch-screen, game-based format. By layering audio, visual, and kinesthetic cues in the user interface of the game, students will 'feel' bond-breaking and making, acidity, and resonance. The mechanism game is an intrinsically motivating system for students to know when they are moving through a reaction mechanism correctly, helping students gain the intuition necessary for success in organic chemistry. The important piece of this project is the development of this new learning tool as a game, as opposed to an interactive tutorial. The research will focus on the iterative process of creating engaging game-play by field-testing with players as the game is developed. The technical challenge of the project is devising a game that can tolerate the scientific scrutiny of academic chemists while remaining appealing to even the casual game player. The key metric for success will be testing the mechanism game with chemistry professors and instructors to determine whether they would recommend the game to their organic chemistry students.