Document Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Award Date
2023
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department / School
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Melody Jewell
Abstract
Students who take general chemistry and do not perform well are more likely to pursue an alternative degree or remove themselves from STEM curriculum entirely. Poor academic performance and high student attrition rates in general chemistry courses have resulted in the perception of chemistry courses being gatekeepers for students in pursuit of STEM degrees. Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) has shown promising results in both lecture and laboratory teaching on student performance in chemistry while gamification has been used to enhance student learning experiences to help students grasp chemistry concepts. The current project blends two student-centered approaches, gamification and POGIL, to address student performance in general chemistry. The purpose of this project was to develop gamified-POGIL activities (GpA) as well as assess GpA’s effects on students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry and development of problem-solving skills. The project involved a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods research approach comparing three teaching methodologies: Traditional- Expository Lecturing, POGIL and GpA. The quantitative assessments included: Instructor Designed Pre/Post-Assessment, NASA TLX, and Test of Logical Thinking. The qualitative assessments included: Instructor Designed Metacognitive Survey, Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey, Post Instruction Student Interviews, and Gamification Questionnaire. Data analysis was done using non-parametric statistics and qualitative coding. The teaching methodologies reported no statistically significant differences between assessment performances, conceptual understanding, and cognitive engagement in metacognitive understanding and cognitive load. However, the POGIL and TEL had significantly more positive shifts on student attitudes towards chemistry concepts and problem-solving skill development compared to the GpA methodology.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Chemistry -- Study and teaching (Higher)
Gamification.
Process-oriented guided inquiry learning.
Academic achievement.
Number of Pages
137
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Turner, Nathan, "Development and Assessment of Gamified Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Activities in Undergraduate Large Lecture Chemistry Courses" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 611.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd2/611
Rights Statement
