The Board Game Dixit as a Tool for The Development of Students’ Physics Concepts

Abstract

The paper presents experiences with the application of a modified version of the commercial board game Dixit as a physics educational tool. The game was tested by 9 pre-service teachers and 42 upper-secondary students. The goals of the presented research are to examine which physics concepts the students associate with selected Dixit cards and to examine if modified Dixit stimulates peer-discussion concerning physics concepts. Based on observation and post-game discussions, the modified version of Dixit can be used as an educational tool. Students showed positive attitude towards playing the game and they identified benefits of the game (finding physics in everyday situations, actively thinking about and using physic terms). However, the influence of the game on students’ understanding of physics concepts, the suitability of various versions of the game for physics learning and the potential of the game to stimulate peer discussion requires further investigation.