Enhancing Kinematics Understanding Through a Real-Time Graph-Based Motion Video Game

TL;DR

This paper presents MissionMotion, a real-time graph-based motion video game designed to improve students' understanding of kinematics through interactive, sensor-based gameplay and immediate visual feedback, fostering engagement and reflection.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel, accessible educational game that integrates real-time motion data and graphical feedback to enhance physics learning and computational thinking.

Findings

High student engagement and positive usability perceptions.

Evidence of improved understanding of motion graphs.

Game promotes reflection rarely seen in traditional lessons.

Abstract

Kinematics is a core topic in early physics courses, yet students often struggle to interpret motion and its graphical representations. To tackle these difficulties, we developed MissionMotion, a physical-computational videogame where students reproduce target motion graphs using real-time data from their own movements or from sensors connected through micro:bit or Arduino. The system displays both the target and the user-generated graph, providing immediate visual feedback and a score based on similarity. We piloted the environment with ninth-grade students in different school contexts and evaluated their experience using the MEEGA+ instrument. The results show strong engagement, positive perceptions of usability, and evidence that the game promotes reflection on motion graphs in ways that rarely emerge in traditional lessons. MissionMotion runs on any web-enabled device and all materials are openly available, offering teachers an accessible tool to integrate experimentation, computational thinking, and playful learning into physics classrooms.