Sufyan Aslam, Jia Yi Han, Chun-Yen Chang, Fun Man Fung
In most chemistry curriculum, students attend practical trainings in physical laboratories to reinforce their theoretical knowledge. However, the availability of these facilities can be limited or nonexistent. In such instances, digital tools become much more useful as a substitute and auxiliary practice avenue. The authors organically developed Virtua Chem Sim, a free-to-use 3D mobile game application (app) that enables students to continue learning practical concepts outside the classroom. Here, we report on the design, development, and receptibility of Virtua Chem Sim, a mobile app that offers two basic chemistry experiments: acid-base titration and litmus paper test. This app utilizes audio and visual instructions, game-based techniques, an introductory experiment explanation, and a quiz section to engage students. Virtua Chem Sim was implemented for 61 high school students in grades 9 and 10 who were enrolled in chemistry. Pre- and post-tests were administered before and after using Virtua Chem Sim to assess their understanding of the two experimental concepts. Analysis of the data reveals a statistically significant improvement (p-value < 0.01) in their performance after using Virtua Chem Sim. A student’s perception survey was also administered after using Virtua Chem Sim, and the majority of the students found Virtua Chem Sim to be an engaging and helpful tool for building their confidence in performing chemistry experiments in real laboratory settings. American Chemical Society. Published 2025 by American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
Graduate Institute of Science Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, 11677, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore; Department of Biology, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Graduate School of Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, 320314, Taiwan; School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 N9Y1, Ireland; UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 N9Y1, Ireland; Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, California, 94305-5080, United States
