"Playing for Bragging Rights": A Qualitative Study of Students' Perceptions of Gamification

The impact of gamification and potential of kaizen in radiology education

Gamification is an emerging tool in medical education that has been increasingly adopted in the field of radiology. The purpose of this non-systematic review is to explore the use of gamification in medical education with a particular focus on new generations of learners and radiology education. This manuscript begins by examining the effectiveness of gamification in improving learning outcomes in medicine and radiology. Future research recommendations and the potential impact of gamification on new learners are discussed. Finally, this review provides insight into a gaming platform, Kaizen, as a promising approach to enhance education by improving motivation and increasing interest in radiology knowledge.

Effects of board game play on nursing students’ medication knowledge: A randomized controlled trial

AIM

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an educational board game in improving nursing students' medication knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Maintaining patient safety is a core practice for nurses. Medication management is a central principle of patient safety. Nurses acquire pharmacology knowledge and medication safety skills in the classroom training. Thus, solidifying and strengthening nursing students' medication knowledge are crucial tasks for nursing faculty members. In recent years, board games, which offer both entertainment and competitive play, have been employed to educate students in a variety of disciplines and settings. Through board game play, students can learn in an enjoyable and fun atmosphere.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial design.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 69 nursing students was obtained from a university in Taiwan. Participants were randomly assigned either to an experimental (board game) group (n = 35) or a comparison group (n = 34) using block randomization. The experimental group engaged in board game play to learn about medications, whereas the comparison group attended a one-hour didactic lecture. Using questionnaires, data were collected before the intervention, immediately post intervention and one month post intervention.

RESULTS

Following the intervention, regardless of the learning method, both groups showed significant improvements in their immediate recall of medication information. However, when retested after one month, the experimental group obtained significantly higher scores than the comparison group. Moreover, students in the experimental group reported more satisfaction with the learning method than those in the comparison group.

CONCLUSIONS

The study results suggest that learning through board games could enhance nursing students' retention of knowledge. Students reported favorable reactions to using a board game learning method for increasing knowledge of medication. With respect to this finding, faculty members may consider employing board games as teaching tools in nursing and other health science courses. Moreover, the findings of this study can also provide additional information for nursing managers in hospital wards or long-term care facilities where nurses are trained to familiarize themselves with frequently administered medications.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Board game play can enhance nursing students' retention of knowledge; students reported positive reactions to game-based learning for medication training.

Gamification and education: A pragmatic approach with two examples of implementation

Leveraging elements of game design and theories of human motivation, gamification provides a variety of techniques to engage learners in novel ways. Our Clinical and Translational Science Award created the software platform (Kaizen-Education©) to deliver gamified educational content in 2012. Here, we explore two novel use cases of this platform to provide practical insights for leveraging these methods in educational settings: (1) national training in rigor, reproducibility, and transparency and (2) attainment of learner competency (n = 7) as a gauge of curricular effectiveness across Master of Public Health degree tracks (n = 5). Data were captured in real time during player interaction with Kaizen-Education© to provide descriptive analyses of player engagement in both implementation examples. We then assessed item analysis to assess knowledge gain and competency attainment. We have just begun to leverage the potential for gamification to engage learners, enhance knowledge acquisition, and document completion of training, across various learning environments. We encourage a systematic approach to gamification applying insights from self-determination theory to learners and learning environments, a methodical approach to game design and rigorous analysis after implementation to generate evidence-based insights to maximize educational return for time invested.

Does theme game-based teaching promote better learning about disaster nursing than scenario simulation: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

With the development of information technology, game-based teaching has continuously attracted the attention of nursing educators. It has been proven that games, as an auxiliary tool of traditional teaching, can improve students' learning motivation and learning effects. However, compared with the traditional scenario simulation teaching, whether game-based teaching has obvious advantages is still unknown.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore whether theme game-based teaching is more effective than scenario simulation in improving students' disaster nursing competency.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

The study was conducted at a provincial vocational college in Xiaogan, Hubei, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 104 sophomore nursing students (intervention group = 51, control group = 53) participated.

METHODS

After the participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group, disaster-themed games were used in the intervention group, while multi-station disaster simulation was applied in the control group. Pre- and post-tests were conducted to assess the participants' disaster nursing competence using the Questionnaire of Disaster Rescue Ability.

RESULTS

After the intervention, disaster nursing competence levels were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (4.04 ± 0.43 vs. 3.77 ± 0.45, P = 0.002). Three domains of disaster nursing competence, cognition (4.05 ± 0.56 vs. 3.75 ± 0.48, P = 0.004), skill (3.88 ± 0.50 vs. 3.62 ± 0.53, p = 0.008) and affective response (4.25 ± 0.42 vs. 4.02 ± 0.48, P = 0.010), were also significantly higher in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with scenario simulation, theme game-based teaching is more effective in improving the disaster nursing competence of nursing students.

Motivation and Engagement of Nursing Students in 2 Gamified Courses: A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that gamification increases student engagement in course activities. However, student feedback about gamification in nursing contexts is needed.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to describe nursing student perceptions of how gamification impacts student motivation and engagement.

METHODS

A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted. Surveys were completed by 58 first-year nursing students. Survey comments and data extracted from the learning management system were also collected.

RESULTS

Students generally found gamification valuable, interesting, and enjoyable. Gamification took effort and was perceived as important. Students felt that they had some choice in participation in the gamified activities.

CONCLUSIONS

Gamification is a viable strategy for promoting motivation and engagement among first year nursing students. More qualitative research is needed to enable game design refinement through investigation of contextualized student experiences. Refined game design may impact the development of learner skills through a moderating effect on engagement in course activities.

How Gameful Experience Affects Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding COVID-19 Among the Taiwanese Public: Cross-sectional Study

Background

In 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe, public health systems worldwide faced severe challenges. Amid the pandemic, one simulation game, Plague Inc., has received substantial attention. This game has indirectly drawn greater public attention to public health issues by simulating pathogen transmission and disease symptoms.

Objective

Against this backdrop, this research investigates whether the gameful experience of Plague Inc. has indirectly affected public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19.

Methods

An online survey was conducted through social networking services in Taiwan from May 6-28, 2020.

Results

A total of 486 subjects participated in this study, of which 276 (56.8%) had played Plague Inc. This study had several findings. First, participants who had played Plague Inc. demonstrated higher levels of knowledge (P=.03, median 7, IQR 7-8) and attitudes (P=.007, median 8, IQR 7-8) than participants who had not played Plague Inc. (knowledge: median 7, IQR 6-8; attitude: median 7, IQR 6-8). Second, there was a significant correlation between creative thinking (ρ=.127, P=.04) and dominance (ρ=.122, P=.04) in attitude. Finally, there was a significant correlation between creative thinking (ρ=.126, P<.001) and dominance (ρ=.119, P=.049) in practice.

Conclusions

Serious games highlighting the theme of pathogen transmission may enhance public knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19. Furthermore, the creative thinking and dominance involved in gameful experiences may act as critical factors in public attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19. These findings should be further verified through experimental research in the future.

Gamification in nursing literature: an integrative review

OBJECTIVE

Gamification is an increasingly popular instructional strategy in nursing. The purpose of this integrative review is to explore gamification as it has been applied in nursing literature. This integrative review seeks to ask the question - What aspects of gamification have been explored in nursing literature and what aspects require further exploration?

METHOD

Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Methodological Issues in Nursing Research, 52(5), 546-553 integrative review framework guided this review. Seventeen articles were reviewed and a quality appraisal tool (developed by Hawker, S., Payne, S., Kerr, C., Hardey, M., & Powell, J. (2002). Appraising the evidence: Reviewing disparate data systematically. Qualitative Health Research, 12(9), 1284-1299) was also used to evaluate the articles.

RESULTS

Following the data analysis stage outlined in Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review framework, six themes emerged: construct conceptualization; relationship between engagement, satisfaction, and knowledge retention; knowledge translation, motivation, role of technology, and gamification elements.

CONCLUSION

Gamification is of interest to the nursing profession. More study is needed to better ascertain the relationship between gamification and several of the main themes identified in this review.

Creating and testing a GCP game in an asynchronous course environment: The game and future plans

Introduction:

The National Institute of Health has mandated good clinical practice (GCP) training for all clinical research investigators and professionals. We developed a GCP game using the Kaizen-Education platform. The GCP Kaizen game was designed to help clinical research professionals immerse themselves into applying International Conference on Harmonization GCP (R2) guidelines in the clinical research setting through case-based questions.

Methods:

Students were invited to participate in the GCP Kaizen game as part of their 100% online academic Masters during the Spring 2019 semester. The structure of the game consisted of 75 original multiple choice and 25 repeated questions stemming from fictitious vignettes that were distributed across 10 weeks. Each question presented a teachable rationale after the answers were submitted. At the end of the game, a satisfaction survey was issued to collect player satisfaction data on the game platform, content, experience as well as perceptions of GCP learning and future GCP concept application.

Results:

There were 71 total players who participated and answered at least one question. Of those, 53 (75%) answered all 100 questions. The game had a high Cronbach’s alpha, and item analyses provided information on question quality, thus assisting us in future quality edits before re-testing and wider dissemination.

Conclusions:

The GCP Kaizen game provides an alternative method for mandated GCP training using principles of gamification. It proved to be a reliable and an effective educational method with high player satisfaction.

Kaizen: Interactive Gaming for Diabetes Patient Education

Objective: An estimated 100 million Americans have diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, a high risk of being diagnosed with diabetes, or prediabetes. Many complications can arise if diabetes is poorly managed. Hence, the need for adequate knowledge, skills, and ability to care for oneself, known as diabetes self-care management, is needed to reduce complication rates. We used an interactive platform that incorporates principles of gamification to enhance user engagement to enhance diabetes knowledge. The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to discover what adult patients with diabetes thought about this novel educational approach to diabetes education. Materials and Methods: We collected focus group data from participants at a diabetes clinic after they played an interactive diabetes trivia game, on our software platform (Kaizen Education). Transcripts were coded and common themes were identified. Results: We conducted 9 focus groups that included 33 adult (age >18) participants who had diabetes. An overarching theme of play/gaming as a form of learning was apparent, and after analyzing the coding several themes emerged, including preferences and desired environments (clinic and home) for learning, desired players (including family, significant others), and a good balance of question difficulty. Conclusions: Participants were overwhelmingly positive about gamified education and felt empowered to lead discussions with their health care providers about diabetes self-care education, in a sense "flipping" the traditional clinic patient education paradigm. These results suggested that a flipped clinic approach could be beneficial, empowering, and engaging for patients.