Enhancing First Year Geodetic Engineering Students’ Unit Conversion Skills through Board Games

Abstract

This study explored the use of a board game based learning approach to help improve the unit conversion skills of first year Geodetic Engineering students at Batangas State University. Unit conversion is a basic skill in science and engineering which students tend to have trouble with in practice. We aimed to see what the board game intervention did for the students’ performance in terms of accuracy, speed, and what they thought of the difficulty progression. This research, framed under the learning interaction and engagement model initially used to describe the experience of first-year Geodetic Engineering students in synchronous modalities, investigates the enhancement of unit conversion skills of students using a board game-based learning approach. Sixteen participants undertook a unit conversion test and a validated Likert-scale survey to determine improvements in accuracy, speed, and difficulty, and perceived efficacy and engagement. There was strong agreement that the board game improved accuracy, WM = 3.43; speed, WM = 3.56; and ability to manage difficulty, WM = 3.46. The pre-test score showed low initial mastery, while the post-test score significantly increased, with all students getting a score of 8 and above and more than half getting a perfect score, supported by a highly significant t-value, t = 10.03, p = 0.00000018. Students also strongly agreed that the board game was effective, WM = 3.65, and engaging, WM = 3.73. The results indicated that board game-based learning is an effective and motivating strategy for improving the unit conversion skill in Geodetic Engineering education.

Introduction

Unit conversion is a crucial mathematical and scientific skill used in fields like chemistry and physics for measurements such as speed, pressure, volume, moles, and temperature. While students often struggle with applying units in real-life problems, integrating engaging learning strategies like board games can enhance comprehension, accuracy, speed, and overall skill.

Study Objective:
The study aimed to improve first-year Geodetic Engineering students’ unit conversion skills through a board game-based learning approach, assessing performance in terms of accuracy, speed, difficulty, and engagement.

Methodology:

• Design: Quantitative pre-test/post-test with surveys to measure learning gains and engagement.

• Participants: 16 first-year students divided into four groups.

• Procedure: Pre-test to assess baseline skills, one-hour board game activity with varying difficulty levels and strategic elements, followed by a post-test and survey.

• Instruments: A researcher-designed unit conversion test and a 25-item Likert-scale survey measuring performance, engagement, and perceived efficacy.

Results:

• Accuracy: Students reported improved precision in conversions (mean 3.43, Strongly Agree).

• Speed: Significant improvement in speed and confidence under time pressure (mean 3.56, Strongly Agree).

• Difficulty: Students found unit conversion tasks easier and more manageable (mean 3.46, Strongly Agree).

• Pre-test vs. Post-test: Pre-test showed low baseline skills (mean 5.00), while post-test scores rose significantly (mean 9.44), with a t-test confirming a statistically significant improvement (p ≈ 0).

• Self-Assessment: Students strongly agreed that the board game enhanced learning, retention, and test preparedness (overall mean 3.7, Strongly Agree).

Conclusion

In connection with the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1) The responses on accuracy, speed, and difficulty resulted in high levels of agreement that the board game developed the performance of the students. The overall means of 3.43 in terms of accuracy, 3.56 in terms of speed, and 3.46 in terms of difficulty all fell within the Strongly Agree range, thus inferring that the gamified approach not only reinforced their computational skills but also made difficult concepts more manageable. 2) The comparison of pre-test and post-test scores validated the effectiveness of the intervention. The pre-test results indicated a weak baseline understanding, with most students scoring below the middle point of the test. The increase in mean score from 5.00 to 9.44 is indicative of strong learning gains across the group. The t-test results confirmed that a statistically significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test scores (p = 0.00000018), affirming that the board game intervention was highly effective in enhancing mastery of unit conversion skills. 3) Students strongly agreed about the efficacy and engagement of the board game, with means of 3.65 and 3.73, respectively. These values signify that the board game is not only effective as a learning tool but also as an instructional method for generating interest, motivation, and active participation. The results confirm that board game-based learning is a strong alternative instructional approach to teaching unit conversion, effectively enhancing students\' accuracy, speed, and ability in handling varying levels of difficulty while improving engagement and motivation.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mark Jansen Ivan M. Bilog, Ervin Joseph F. Dino, Dave C. Dup-et, Abanov Ebreo, John Patrick V. Escolano, Ralfh Vincent R. Laroza, Maria Victoria S. Olympia, Beatrice D. Ricasio. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.