Supporting Conceptual Change in Physics with a Serious Game

Serious games can play a role in physics education, especially in elementary mechanics, as they can provide hands-on experience with force and motion in a simulated environment. In this study, we used a serious three-dimensional immersive game to provide students with an environment in which they needed to search for explanations beyond their preconceptions. We expected that students would see the need for new theories. The goal of the game was for students to direct a ball to a target using forces they could regulate. In a quasi-experimental evaluation between a game group and a traditional group (receiving no game) with 73 participants no significant gain in knowledge was measured in either group. However, students who played the game were more motivated than students who experienced the traditional lesson). Implications for renewed game design and research are discussed.