A mobile application game has been adapted to teach students about laboratory instruments, glassware, apparatus, and techniques. The game was designed with reference to a popular icebreaker game, "Charades!", to ensure that it was easily accessible to students. Students will hold a mobile phone just above their forehead, which will then flash the name of a particular type of apparatus or an analytical technique. They deduce the answer based on the description given by their team members. The gamified approach is a relaxing alternative to traditional didactic recitations. This strategy is effective because it requires students to communicate openly through deliberate practice with their teammates. We call this game ChemCharades.
A gamified approach toward Viva voce was implemented in a postlab activity to evaluate students in teams. In a game-show manner, students in teams of three select from an array of anonymized options to reveal a random question. They then chose one member of the team to answer. The assessor evaluated the team by the side instead of facing the students directly. The modified approach fostered collaboration among teammates and reduced stress felt by students in the Viva voce. This approach is effective because it removed the vis-a-vis presence of the assessor and reduced tension felt by students during the activity. We call this approach Viva la Vida.
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