The incorporation of game-like elements into non-game contexts has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance learning across diverse fields, including chemistry education. Laboratory-based chemistry courses, which require both theoretical understanding and practical application, often present practical challenges for students. This experience proposes a gamified approach to the first-year chemistry laboratory course at the University of Seville, aiming to enhance traditional lab instruction by making it more engaging, interactive, and motivating. The proposed intervention incorporates problem-based learning principles through a fictional narrative called The ChemLab Challenge. Within this gamified environment, students engage in a series of progressively complex missions that simulate real-world laboratory tasks. For example, one mission might involve synthesizing a specific compound, guiding students through reagent selection, reaction optimization, and troubleshooting. A further challenge may involve analyzing experimental data, such as interpreting titration or chromatography results, and making decisions based on real-time feedback.

To enrich the learning experience, they simulate experiments and visualize chemical reactions or molecular structures. Features like virtual lab notebooks, leaderboards, and progress tracking provide immediate feedback, helping students understand the consequences of their decisions and motivating continuous improvement. Safety protocols are also embedded within the narrative, with rewards for correctly following safety measures and handling hazardous materials. Overall, this proposal demonstrates how gamification can transform science education by making chemistry lab instruction more interactive, student-centered, and effective.

Keywords: Gamification, Laboratory Chemistry, Constructivist Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Science Education, Laboratory Development Simulation.