Mahjong Chem

The “MahjongChem” app is a free and addictive game that’s in a whole different domain from the typical paper and pencil drill. Created by Stetson University, it boasts 12 different topics and 11 different layouts. Most of the topics are suitable for physical science classes, and only one or two are beyond the scope of typical chemistry 1 classes. Drill is sometimes necessary when building a knowledge base, but it is often boring and tedious. This app really does take drill as close to fun as it can get.
In a typical game of mahjong, players match tiles to remove them from the board and win when the board is empty. However, this would not be very educational, so “MahjongChem” puts a twist on this ancient game. Now players have to match a tile with what is essentially its definition. For example, in the “Elemental Symbols – Intro.” game, players match each element name with its correct symbol.
Students can start with the “Easy” layout and move on to more difficult layouts as their knowledge increases. Advanced learners might skip the “Easy” layout and start with something more challenging, while less adept students might repeat the “Easy” layout several times before feeling confident enough to move on. Tapping “New Game” restarts the same topic and layout with new tiles, so students could stay on the same level for a very long time without repeating a board. Each student can chose how much or how little drill to complete and at what difficulty level in order to master a topic.
Unfortunately, there isn’t any kind of history included in the app, so teachers cannot review what students have completed, but there are plenty of ways to test students, and knowing that there aren’t any records may reassure less adept students. “MahjongChem” is a deceptively simple app that deals with one of the most dreaded parts of any course – memorization.