Physics card games to support knowledge organization: design considerations and teachers’ attitudes

Abstract Despite the positive effects of gamification on student motivation and learning outcomes, there are still widespread concerns that ‘playing games is merely fun’ and have no added value, thus making teachers hesitate about incorporating games into their teaching. This paper describes Phys-Ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics education 2024-09, Vol.59 (5), p.55010
Main Authors: Levy, Smadar, Perl-Nussbaum, David, Yerushalmi, Edit
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Card games
Cooperative Learning
Games
gamification
Knowledge organization
Learning
Physics
professional development
professional learning communities
Professional Training
Science Teachers
Secondary School Science
Student Motivation
Teachers
Teaching
Team size
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Summary:Abstract Despite the positive effects of gamification on student motivation and learning outcomes, there are still widespread concerns that ‘playing games is merely fun’ and have no added value, thus making teachers hesitate about incorporating games into their teaching. This paper describes Phys-Cards games, designed as a summative hands-on activity that highlights physics concepts through a ‘contrast and compare’ task in a game context. The Phys-Cards games were presented in a national network of professional learning communities (PLCs) for high school physics teachers. The teachers first played the games and then reflected on their experiences after they implemented them in their classrooms. Surveys and an analysis of the teachers’ reflections indicated that they valued the Phys-Cards games and reported that the games contributed to students’ conceptual understanding and knowledge organization. However, teachers faced challenges such as team size and composition, how to best monitor different groups, and timing in the instructional sequence. In their discussions during the PLC meetings, the teachers identified the features of the games that best promotedmeaningful collaborative learning and suggested productive ways to incorporate the games into their teaching.
ISSN:0031-9120
1361-6552
DOI:10.1088/1361-6552/ad61b2