1. Computer Gaming as a Tool for Chemistry Education
Presenter: Jenny Hastings
Mentor: Ashish Amresh
Arizona State University
April 17, 2010

2. Acknowledgments
Ryan Scott- provided ideas and feedback for game play and strategy.
Dr. Pamela Marks- answered chemistry related questions.

3. Objectives Promote science literacy
Combine technology and education to engage students
Provide students and teachers with a new learning tool
Support AZ academic standards (Strand 5: Concept 1: PO 8 and others)

4. About the Game Title: Octet
Subject: The Octet Rule for Covalent Bonding
Target Audience: High School chemistry students
Requires: An internet connection, browser,
and Flash Player.
Adobe Flash, ActionScript 3.0, PHP, and
MySQL were used to make the game.

5. Game Rules Play 1 atom per turn Option to add bonds to form a molecule
Molecules must obey the Octet Rule
Molecules must contain at least 3 atoms
Points are awarded for valid molecules
and lost for invalid ones.
The player with the most points wins

6. User Interface

7. Game Play: An Unlikely Case
Large molecules are possible but are unlikely to be formed in a competitive game.
A strategic player will not allow his opponent to make this ethanol molecule.
Students can choose not to play competitively if they
wish to practice forming
these molecules.

8. Game Play: A Strategic Example
Players will not place atoms such that a third atom can be played to connect them.
This continues until no other option is left.
Strategy is similar to that
of Dots & Boxes game.

9. Game Play: A Strategic Example

10. Interpretations The game helps students:
-identify an atom's number of valence electrons
-learn how to use valencies for determining bonds
-become familiar with the atoms that comprise covalent molecules.
Limitations: allows for the formation of purely theoretical molecules and does not allow legitimate molecules that form by other rules.

11. Thank You