EquaChem Deck: A Card Game Activity for Enhancing High School Students’ Learning of Ionic Equations

Ionic equations are challenging for high school students due to their abstract and complex nature. Although gamified teaching has shown promise in enhancing learning motivation and engagement in chemical education, there is a lack of specialized gamification tools for ionic equations. To address this, EquaChem Deck, a card game integrating core ionic equation knowledge into gameplay, has been developed. The game includes 200 substance cards and 50 condition cards, with rules inspired by Texas Hold’em. It creates an engaging learning environment that encourages students to explore, apply, and internalize knowledge related to ionic equations. Classroom implementation with 48 high school students revealed a significant improvement in test scores, demonstrating the game’s effectiveness in enhancing mastery of ionic equations across proficiency levels. Student feedback highlights the game’s appeal and educational value, confirming the effectiveness of its competitive and interactive elements in promoting active learning. This innovative tool offers chemistry educators a practical approach to teaching abstract ionic equation concepts, advancing chemical education methods, and improving student learning efficiency and quality in this challenging area.