Designing classroom game for improving Kirchhoff's second law mastering

Maulinia Ceisar Aksara Aji; Sajidan Sajidan; Suranto Suranto; Sentot Budi Rahardjo

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2025132

Keywords:

DBR

classroom game

dummy time bombs defusing

Kirchhoff’s second law mastery

Abstract

Kirchhoff’s second law is a fundamental concept in electricity and electronics. Therefore, DBR (Design-Based Research) which comprising 3 phases: Analysis, Design and Evaluation, was conducted to support mastery of the law. The sample consisted of 138 first-semester college students. In the Analysis phase, it was found that 63% of the students did not master Kirchhoff’s second law due to the following reasons: 1) They had forgotten about the law (66.3%), 2) The explanation of the law was difficult to understand (30.3%), and 3) They were not motivated to study the law (3.4%). In the Design phase, a classroom game named 'Time Bomb Defusing' was constructed to address these issues. In the game, Kirchhoff’s second law was used by students to identify the secret wires (wires that should be cut) and the decoys (wires that should not be cut) of dummy time bombs to defuse them. In the Evaluation phase, the game was reviewed by the sample, and the results were as follows: 1) Learning Kirchhoff’s second law through the game was perceived as enjoyable (87.7%), indicating that the law would be remembered longer, 2) The explanation in the game about using Kirchhoff’s second law to defuse dummy time bombs was easily understood (69.6%), and 3) Students were interested in using Kirchhoff’s second law to defuse dummy time bombs in the game (93.5%), indicating that the game stimulated their interest in studying the law. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the 'Time Bomb Defusing' game has the potential to improve mastery of Kirchhoff’s second law.
References
1. Agra, G., Formiga, N. S., Oliveira, P. S. de, Costa, M. M. L., Fernandes, M. das G. M., & Nóbrega, M. M. L. da. (2019). Analysis of the concept of Meaningful Learning in light of the Ausubel’s Theory. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72, 248–255.
2. American Psychological Association. (2015). Coalition for psychology in schools and education. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from: https://apa.org/ed/schools/coalition.
3. Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives: complete edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
4. Ausubel, D. P. (1963). The psychology of meaningful verbal learning.
5. Bechi Gabrielli, G., Spataro, P., Pezzuti, L., & Rossi-Arnaud, C. (2018). When divided attention fails to enhance memory encoding: The attentional boost effect is eliminated in young-old adults. Psychology and Aging, 33(2), 259.
6. Benet, L. Z., & Sodhi, J. K. (2023). The uses and advantages of Kirchhoff's laws vs. differential equations in pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and (even) chemistry. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 25(38).
7. Bhunia, S., & Tehranipoor, M. M. (2018). Hardware security: a hands-on learning approach. Morgan Kaufmann.
8. Biercewicz, K., Borawski, M., & Duda, J. (2020). Method for selecting an engagement index for a specific type of game using cognitive neuroscience. International Journal of Computer Games Technology, 2020.
9. Camina, E., & Güell, F. (2017). The neuroanatomical, neurophysiological and psychological basis of memory: Current models and their origins. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 8, 260416.
10. Choi, J., & Kim, J. (2020). Kirchhoff’s Circuit Law Applications to Graph Simplification in Search Problems. 2020 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), 81–86.
11. da Silva, J. B. (2020). David Ausubel’s Theory of Meaningful Learning: an analysis of the necessary conditions. Research, Society and Development, 9(4), 3.
12. Daniel iii, J. F., & Musgrave, P. (2017). Synthetic experiences: How popular culture matters for images of international relations. International Studies Quarterly, 61(3), 503–516.
13. De Gloria, A., Bellotti, F., & Berta, R. (2014). Serious Games for education and training. International Journal of Serious Games, 1(1).
14. Dobkin, B., & Williams, J. (2012). Analog circuit design volume 2: immersion in the black art of analog design (Vol. 2). Newnes.
15. Dziuban, C., Graham, C. R., Moskal, P. D., Norberg, A., & Sicilia, N. (2018). Blended learning: the new normal and emerging technologies. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15, 1–16.
16. Ercan, A. (2016). On Kirchhoff’s equations and variational approaches to electrical network analysis. American Journal of Physics, 84(3), 231–233.
17. Fan, M., & Cai, W. (2022). How does a creative learning environment foster student creativity? An examination on multiple explanatory mechanisms. Current Psychology, 41(7), 4667–4676.
18. Fitrani, A. S., Abdullah, D., & Hartono, H. (2019). Calculation of Current Strength Software in Closed Circuits. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1364(1), 12022.
19. Fukuda, K., & Woodman, G. F. (2017). Visual working memory buffers information retrieved from visual long-term memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(20), 5306–5311.
20. Hanani, N. (2020). Meaningful Learning Reconstruction for Millennial: Facing competition in the information technology era. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 469(1), 12107.
21. Henriksen, D., Richardson, C., & Shack, K. (2020). Mindfulness and creativity: Implications for thinking and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100689.
22. Humiston, G. B., Tucker, M. A., Summer, T., & Wamsley, E. J. (2019). Resting states and memory consolidation: A preregistered replication and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 19345.
23. Inman, C. S., Manns, J. R., Bijanki, K. R., Bass, D. I., Hamann, S., Drane, D. L., Fasano, R. E., Kovach, C. K., Gross, R. E., & Willie, J. T. (2018). Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances declarative memory in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(1), 98–103.
24. Ivie, S. D. (1998). Ausubel’s learning theory: An approach to teaching higher order thinking skills. The High School Journal, 82(1), 35–42.
25. Jonathan, F. C., & Recard, M. (2021). The Implementation Of Gamification Concept Inside Online Classroom Activities To Promote Students’engagement. IJIET (International Journal of Indonesian Education and Teaching), 5(2), 176–184.
26. Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(4), 212–218.
27. Kucuk, S., & Ajder, A. (2022). Analytical voltage drop calculations during direct on line motor starting: Solutions for industrial plants. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13(4), 101671.
28. Kurniawan, D. T., & Maryanti, S. (2018). Analysis of math teacher candidates’ misconception on the dynamic electricity concept. Scientiae Educatia: Jurnal Pendidikan Sains, 7(1), 67–78.
29. Lian, Y., Lan, D., Xing, S., Guo, B., Ren, Z., Lai, R., Zou, C., Zhao, B., Friend, R. H., & Di, D. (2022). Ultralow-voltage operation of light-emitting diodes. Nature Communications, 13(1), 3845.
30. Lim, S.-J., Wöstmann, M., Geweke, F., & Obleser, J. (2018). The benefit of attention-to-memory depends on the interplay of memory capacity and memory load. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 328300.
31. Liu, B., Li, X., Theeuwes, J., & Wang, B. (2022). Long-term memory retrieval bypasses working memory. NeuroImage, 261, 119513.
32. Long, N. M., Kuhl, B. A., & Chun, M. M. (2018). Memory and attention. Stevens’ Handbook of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, 1, 285.
33. Maatuk, A. M., Elberkawi, E. K., Aljawarneh, S., Rashaideh, H., & Alharbi, H. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic and E-learning: challenges and opportunities from the perspective of students and instructors. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 34(1), 21–38.
34. Mahmoud, M. S. (2018). Advanced control design with application to electromechanical systems. Butterworth-Heinemann.
35. Maryanti, R., Hufad, A., Sunardi, S., & Nandiyanto, A. B. D. (2022). Teaching high school students with/without special needs and their misconception on corrosion. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 17(1), 225–238.
36. McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. (2018). Conducting educational design research. Routledge.
37. Nair, G. B., & Dhoble, S. J. (2020). The fundamentals and applications of light-emitting diodes: the revolution in the lighting industry. Woodhead Publishing.
38. Neumann, F., & Brown, T. (2020). Transmission expansion planning using cycle flows. Proceedings of the Eleventh ACM International Conference on Future Energy Systems, 253–263.
39. Nieto-Escamez, F. A., & Roldán-Tapia, M. D. (2021). Gamification as online teaching strategy during COVID-19: A mini-review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 648552.
40. Oberauer, K. (2019). Working memory and attention–A conceptual analysis and review. Journal of Cognition, 2(1).
41. Pachter, J. A., Dill, K. A., Sodhi, J. K., & Benet, L. Z. (2022). Review of the application of Kirchhoff's laws of series and parallel flows to pharmacology: Defining organ clearance. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 239, 108278.
42. Plonus, M. (2020). Electronics and communications for scientists and engineers. Butterworth-Heinemann.
43. Prasad, V. C. (2016). Kirchhoff’s laws from Tellegen’s Theorem. Electrical Power Quality and Utilisation. Journal, 19(1), 9–14.
44. Reyes-Chua, E., & Lidawan, M. W. (2019). Games as effective language classroom strategies: a perspective from English major students. European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching.
45. Ricketts, M. (2020). The case of the overloaded electrical circuit. Professional Safety, 65(1), 52–63.
46. Roberts, J., Archer, L., DeWitt, J., & Middleton, A. (2019). Popular culture and genetics; friend, foe or something more complex? European Journal of Medical Genetics, 62(5), 368–375.
47. Santoso, B., Sobandi, A., Imaniyati, N., Hikmawan, T. R. Y., & Nurjanah, S. (2023). Does E-Learning Effectively Increase Learning Motivation In Blended Learning In The Pandemic Of Covid-19? Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 18(4), 2238–2253.
48. Semmlow, J. (2005). Circuits, signals, and systems for bioengineers. Parasitic Element (Electrical Networks), 134–135.
49. Somano, T. T. (2022). Characteristics of Semiconductor Diode and Its Application. International Journal of Engineering, 6(2), 20–29.
50. Stoian, C. E., Fărcașiu, M. A., Dragomir, G.-M., & Gherheș, V. (2022). Transition from online to face-to-face education after COVID-19: The benefits of online education from students’ perspective. Sustainability, 14(19), 12812.
51. Tabor-Morris, A. (2021). Kirchhoff's laws of electricity in terms of conservation of energy/mass. Conference: American Association of Physics Teachers.
52. Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The influences of emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 235933.
53. van der Loo, J., Krahmer, E., & van Amelsvoort, M. (2019). Reflection in learning to write an academic text. How does reflection affect observational learning and learning-by-doing in a research synthesis task? Frontiers in Education, 4, 19.
54. Vargas-Hernández, J. G., & Vargas-González, O. C. (2022). Strategies for meaningful learning in higher education. JISTECH: Journal of Information Science and Technology, 2(1), 47–64.
55. Vlachopoulos, D., & Makri, A. (2017). The effect of games and simulations on higher education: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14, 1–33
56. Widyawati, A., Suyanta, Kuswanto, H., Suyanto, S., & Zhanbyrbaevna, T. M. (2024). STEM learning model's impact on enhancing critical thinking skills and motivation: A literature review. International Journal of Religion, 5(3), 200-204

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Aji, M. C. A., Sajidan, S., Suranto, S., & Rahardjo, S. B. (2024). Designing classroom game for improving Kirchhoff’s second law mastering. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(3), 2025132. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025132

[1] Agra, G., Formiga, N. S., Oliveira, P. S. de, Costa, M. M. L., Fernandes, M. das G. M., & Nóbrega, M. M. L. da. (2019). Analysis of the concept of Meaningful Learning in light of the Ausubel’s Theory. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72, 248–255.

[2] American Psychological Association. (2015). Coalition for psychology in schools and education. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from: https://apa.org/ed/schools/coalition.

[3] Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives: complete edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

[4] Ausubel, D. P. (1963). The psychology of meaningful verbal learning.

[5] Bechi Gabrielli, G., Spataro, P., Pezzuti, L., & Rossi-Arnaud, C. (2018). When divided attention fails to enhance memory encoding: The attentional boost effect is eliminated in young-old adults. Psychology and Aging, 33(2), 259.

[6] Benet, L. Z., & Sodhi, J. K. (2023). The uses and advantages of Kirchhoff's laws vs. differential equations in pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and (even) chemistry. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 25(38).

[7] Bhunia, S., & Tehranipoor, M. M. (2018). Hardware security: a hands-on learning approach. Morgan Kaufmann.

[8] Biercewicz, K., Borawski, M., & Duda, J. (2020). Method for selecting an engagement index for a specific type of game using cognitive neuroscience. International Journal of Computer Games Technology, 2020.

[9] Camina, E., & Güell, F. (2017). The neuroanatomical, neurophysiological and psychological basis of memory: Current models and their origins. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 8, 260416.

[10] Choi, J., & Kim, J. (2020). Kirchhoff’s Circuit Law Applications to Graph Simplification in Search Problems. 2020 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), 81–86.

[11] da Silva, J. B. (2020). David Ausubel’s Theory of Meaningful Learning: an analysis of the necessary conditions. Research, Society and Development, 9(4), 3.

[12] Daniel iii, J. F., & Musgrave, P. (2017). Synthetic experiences: How popular culture matters for images of international relations. International Studies Quarterly, 61(3), 503–516.

[13] De Gloria, A., Bellotti, F., & Berta, R. (2014). Serious Games for education and training. International Journal of Serious Games, 1(1).

[14] Dobkin, B., & Williams, J. (2012). Analog circuit design volume 2: immersion in the black art of analog design (Vol. 2). Newnes.

[15] Dziuban, C., Graham, C. R., Moskal, P. D., Norberg, A., & Sicilia, N. (2018). Blended learning: the new normal and emerging technologies. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15, 1–16.

[16] Ercan, A. (2016). On Kirchhoff’s equations and variational approaches to electrical network analysis. American Journal of Physics, 84(3), 231–233.

[17] Fan, M., & Cai, W. (2022). How does a creative learning environment foster student creativity? An examination on multiple explanatory mechanisms. Current Psychology, 41(7), 4667–4676.

[18] Fitrani, A. S., Abdullah, D., & Hartono, H. (2019). Calculation of Current Strength Software in Closed Circuits. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1364(1), 12022.

[19] Fukuda, K., & Woodman, G. F. (2017). Visual working memory buffers information retrieved from visual long-term memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(20), 5306–5311.

[20] Hanani, N. (2020). Meaningful Learning Reconstruction for Millennial: Facing competition in the information technology era. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 469(1), 12107.

[21] Henriksen, D., Richardson, C., & Shack, K. (2020). Mindfulness and creativity: Implications for thinking and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100689.

[22] Humiston, G. B., Tucker, M. A., Summer, T., & Wamsley, E. J. (2019). Resting states and memory consolidation: A preregistered replication and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 19345.

[23] Inman, C. S., Manns, J. R., Bijanki, K. R., Bass, D. I., Hamann, S., Drane, D. L., Fasano, R. E., Kovach, C. K., Gross, R. E., & Willie, J. T. (2018). Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances declarative memory in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(1), 98–103.

[24] Ivie, S. D. (1998). Ausubel’s learning theory: An approach to teaching higher order thinking skills. The High School Journal, 82(1), 35–42.

[25] Jonathan, F. C., & Recard, M. (2021). The Implementation Of Gamification Concept Inside Online Classroom Activities To Promote Students’engagement. IJIET (International Journal of Indonesian Education and Teaching), 5(2), 176–184.

[26] Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(4), 212–218.

[27] Kucuk, S., & Ajder, A. (2022). Analytical voltage drop calculations during direct on line motor starting: Solutions for industrial plants. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13(4), 101671.

[28] Kurniawan, D. T., & Maryanti, S. (2018). Analysis of math teacher candidates’ misconception on the dynamic electricity concept. Scientiae Educatia: Jurnal Pendidikan Sains, 7(1), 67–78.

[29] Lian, Y., Lan, D., Xing, S., Guo, B., Ren, Z., Lai, R., Zou, C., Zhao, B., Friend, R. H., & Di, D. (2022). Ultralow-voltage operation of light-emitting diodes. Nature Communications, 13(1), 3845.

[30] Lim, S.-J., Wöstmann, M., Geweke, F., & Obleser, J. (2018). The benefit of attention-to-memory depends on the interplay of memory capacity and memory load. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 328300.

[31] Liu, B., Li, X., Theeuwes, J., & Wang, B. (2022). Long-term memory retrieval bypasses working memory. NeuroImage, 261, 119513.

[32] Long, N. M., Kuhl, B. A., & Chun, M. M. (2018). Memory and attention. Stevens’ Handbook of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, 1, 285.

[33] Maatuk, A. M., Elberkawi, E. K., Aljawarneh, S., Rashaideh, H., & Alharbi, H. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic and E-learning: challenges and opportunities from the perspective of students and instructors. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 34(1), 21–38.

[34] Mahmoud, M. S. (2018). Advanced control design with application to electromechanical systems. Butterworth-Heinemann.

[35] Maryanti, R., Hufad, A., Sunardi, S., & Nandiyanto, A. B. D. (2022). Teaching high school students with/without special needs and their misconception on corrosion. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 17(1), 225–238.

[36] McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. (2018). Conducting educational design research. Routledge.

[37] Nair, G. B., & Dhoble, S. J. (2020). The fundamentals and applications of light-emitting diodes: the revolution in the lighting industry. Woodhead Publishing.

[38] Neumann, F., & Brown, T. (2020). Transmission expansion planning using cycle flows. Proceedings of the Eleventh ACM International Conference on Future Energy Systems, 253–263.

[39] Nieto-Escamez, F. A., & Roldán-Tapia, M. D. (2021). Gamification as online teaching strategy during COVID-19: A mini-review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 648552.

[40] Oberauer, K. (2019). Working memory and attention–A conceptual analysis and review. Journal of Cognition, 2(1).

[41] Pachter, J. A., Dill, K. A., Sodhi, J. K., & Benet, L. Z. (2022). Review of the application of Kirchhoff's laws of series and parallel flows to pharmacology: Defining organ clearance. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 239, 108278.

[42] Plonus, M. (2020). Electronics and communications for scientists and engineers. Butterworth-Heinemann.

[43] Prasad, V. C. (2016). Kirchhoff’s laws from Tellegen’s Theorem. Electrical Power Quality and Utilisation. Journal, 19(1), 9–14.

[44] Reyes-Chua, E., & Lidawan, M. W. (2019). Games as effective language classroom strategies: a perspective from English major students. European Journal of Foreign Language Teaching.

[45] Ricketts, M. (2020). The case of the overloaded electrical circuit. Professional Safety, 65(1), 52–63.

[46] Roberts, J., Archer, L., DeWitt, J., & Middleton, A. (2019). Popular culture and genetics; friend, foe or something more complex? European Journal of Medical Genetics, 62(5), 368–375.

[47] Santoso, B., Sobandi, A., Imaniyati, N., Hikmawan, T. R. Y., & Nurjanah, S. (2023). Does E-Learning Effectively Increase Learning Motivation In Blended Learning In The Pandemic Of Covid-19? Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 18(4), 2238–2253.

[48] Semmlow, J. (2005). Circuits, signals, and systems for bioengineers. Parasitic Element (Electrical Networks), 134–135.

[49] Somano, T. T. (2022). Characteristics of Semiconductor Diode and Its Application. International Journal of Engineering, 6(2), 20–29.

[50] Stoian, C. E., Fărcașiu, M. A., Dragomir, G.-M., & Gherheș, V. (2022). Transition from online to face-to-face education after COVID-19: The benefits of online education from students’ perspective. Sustainability, 14(19), 12812.

[51] Tabor-Morris, A. (2021). Kirchhoff's laws of electricity in terms of conservation of energy/mass. Conference: American Association of Physics Teachers.

[52] Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The influences of emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 235933.

[53] van der Loo, J., Krahmer, E., & van Amelsvoort, M. (2019). Reflection in learning to write an academic text. How does reflection affect observational learning and learning-by-doing in a research synthesis task? Frontiers in Education, 4, 19.

[54] Vargas-Hernández, J. G., & Vargas-González, O. C. (2022). Strategies for meaningful learning in higher education. JISTECH: Journal of Information Science and Technology, 2(1), 47–64.

[55] Vlachopoulos, D., & Makri, A. (2017). The effect of games and simulations on higher education: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14, 1–33

[56] Widyawati, A., Suyanta, Kuswanto, H., Suyanto, S., & Zhanbyrbaevna, T. M. (2024). STEM learning model's impact on enhancing critical thinking skills and motivation: A literature review. International Journal of Religion, 5(3), 200-204

Abstract

References

How to cite