Advantages of Kahoot! Game-based Formative Assessments along with Methods of Its Use and Application during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Various Live Learning Sessions

A pilot study on gamified and conventional e-quizzes reinforcing human histology among first-year medical and physiotherapy students

The present retrospective, descriptive, and quasi-experimental study aimed to explore students' perceptions of traditional teaching combined with gamified and nongamified e-tests for postlecture reinforcement. Midterm knowledge retention and academic performance were also analyzed. The study was conducted from February 2021 to May 2022, involving a single group of first-year medical and physiotherapy students enrolled in equivalent core subjects on human histology at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). Lectures were supplemented with gamified Quizizz (QQ) or nongamified Moodle questionnaires (MQ) after lecture (t0) and 30 days later (t30). From 171 attendees, 162 volunteers were surveyed on their perceptions on the experience. Furthermore, 97 volunteers participated in the DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey on the students' satisfaction, and 123 participants individually answered 20 QQ and 20 MQ. Data were analyzed using the program Jamovi 2.3.24. The survey on volunteers' perception comprised 11 Likert items and 3 numerical scale items. The former showed acceptable internal consistency (ω-McDonald, 0.70) and validity (KMO, 0.58). Both types of e-questionnaires facilitated learning and motivated pre-reading contents but QQs were preferred. Reinforced lectures were rated higher than those unreinforced. Volunteers expressed higher overall satisfaction though DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey than the prepandemic control group. Average scores peaked at t0 with higher MQ rates. At t30, MQ and QQ scores were acceptable and similar. Participants' outcomes in the final exam tended to improve compared to the prepandemic control group, but without statistical significance. In summary, gamified and nongamified e-quizzes enhanced the student satisfaction and motivation and facilitated midterm knowledge retention.

Gamification in the classroom: Kahoot! As a tool for university teaching innovation

Objectives

The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the use of gamification in the classroom, in terms of its effects on attention, concentration, creativity, and generic capabilities, for university students enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy.

Methods

An experimental design was implemented, using three groups differentiated by their time of exposure to the game (0 min, 30 min, or 60 min per week). The sample consisted of 73 s-year students from a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy. The theoretical content for each class was taught during a period of 4 months, reinforced by use of the Kahoot! Online platform. Selective attention and concentration were evaluated using the d2 Test of Attention; creative intelligence using the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA); and generic capabilities using the capabilities subscale of the Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ).

Results

The study's participants had a mean age of 19.51 ± 0.9 years, and it has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! For longer periods of time, i.e., more than 60 min per day, can improve essential skills in university students, such as attention, creativity, critical thinking, self-managed learning, adaptability, problem solving, and computer literacy. This study's results show that integrating Kahoot! Into the educational environment, especially with longer sessions that allow for deeper immersion in the game, produces benefits by stimulating various cognitive aspects and enhancing complex skills.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! Improves key skills such as attention, creativity, and critical thinking, especially when longer sessions are used. It is also suggested that its use should be balanced with other educational activities, in order to achieve comprehensive development for the students.

Innovations in assessment in health professions education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

After an initial period of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical universities responded to the pandemic by innovating their methods of teaching-learning and assessment. This scoping review aimed to identify innovations in assessment in medical, dental and nursing education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels during the pandemic.

METHODS

This review was conducted utilising Arksey and O'Malley's framework where three electronic databases-PubMed, Embase and Web of Science-were systematically searched in February 2022 for articles in English describing innovations in assessments published in or after January 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 70 articles were included in the review. Among the primary research articles, 82.1% reported online assessment, 76.1% were related to medical speciality, 74.6% described assessment at the undergraduate level, 68.7% described summative assessment and 58.2% reported assessment of practical skills. All assessments of theoretical knowledge were done virtually with MCQ being the most used assessment tool and virtual OSCE being the most popular assessment tool to assess practical skills; however, it was acknowledged that the assessment of procedural skills was its limitation. Although the studies described the newer forms of assessments as feasible and acceptable, few studies reported the reliability and validity of the assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review identified several innovations in assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic with an overall shift towards virtual or hybrid forms of assessment. However, there was a dearth of evidence regarding the effectiveness of these assessment tools suggesting a need for more research before the tools can be implemented post-pandemic.

Analysis of different gamification-based teaching resources for physiotherapy students: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

For health professionals, gamification is a new teaching method that has achieved an important role in recent years, with excellent results in learning and knowledge acquisition. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the gaming experience through different gamification resources in the classroom with physiotherapy students.

METHODS

A comparative study on gamification-based teaching resources was carried out during the first semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. A total of 33 physiotherapy students participated in this study. After the theoretical topics were taught, the participants were invited to participate in different gamification resources such as Kahoot!, Physiotherapy Party and Escape Room. The gaming experience with the different gamification resources was measured with the GAMEX scale.

RESULTS

The Physiotherapy Party showed a higher score in relation to the enjoyment dimension compared to the Kahoot! and Escape Room (p = 0.004). The Escape Room presented higher scores in absorption, creative thinking, activation and dominance compared to Kahoot! and Physiotherapy Party (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Gamification resources promote enjoyment and creativity in the students in the classroom. The use of new teaching methods based on gamification, such as Escape Room as Physiotherapy Party should be considered as first choice in the use of gamification resources due to the benefits they bring to students.

Students engagement using polls in virtual sessions of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Active involvement of students in class using technology is associated with effective learning and understanding. This work intended to analyze the impact of interactive teaching on medical students' engagement, learning, performance, understanding and attendance in virtual classes of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology during COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at college of medicine at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh during January-April 2022. Third- and fourth-year medical students filled a self-reported questionnaire that assessed students' engagement, understanding, performance, and attendance during the sessions of three courses within the curriculum. The Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the difference between the survey responses.

RESULTS

A total of 184/234 questionnaires were completed and returned, with an overall response rate of 78.6%. Fifty-five percent of the participants were involved at least more than 5 times in polls during the class. Majority (86.9%), of the students agreed on enjoying participation in polls during the class, and 88.9% recommended the utilization of the polls again. Participation in polls improved understanding and performance of 88%, and 63% of students respectively. In addition, 38% were neutral regarding attendance improvement and spending more time for the class. Around 53% students agreed that polls improved their grades.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study showed that there is an impact of using interactive polls in virtual classes in medical students at KSAU-HS. It is recommended to continue using polls in all subjects in on-site sessions. This will be a great preface step toward switching the traditional teaching to the interactive teaching using flipped classroom strategy in the future.

Questions of Well-Being and Inclusion in Online Undergraduate Medical Education During COVID-19: A 2-Phased Focused Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Undergraduate medical education (UGME) was transformed by the rapid move to online curriculum delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most research on online UGME has focused on measuring its effectiveness. However, medical educators also require evidence regarding its implications with respect to well-being and inclusion.

METHOD

To explore online learning transition, particularly the effect on well-being and inclusion, this 2-phased focused scoping review employed a revised Joanna Briggs Institute approach: (1) developing review questions and objectives; (2) determining eligibility criteria; (3) developing the search strategy; (4) extracting, analyzing, and discussing findings; (5) drawing conclusions; and (6) discussing implications for practice and further research.

RESULTS

The review ultimately included 217 articles, of which 107 (49%) explored student and staff well-being during online UGME, 64 (30%) focused on inclusion in this context, and 46 (21%) examined both well-being and inclusion. Additionally, 137 of included articles (63%) were research/evaluation, 48 (22%) were descriptive, and 32 (15%) were opinion. Of the 137 research/evaluation studies, 115 (84%) were quantitative, 10 (7%) were qualitative, 8 (6%) were mixed methods, and 4 (3%) were Reviews. Among these research/evaluation studies, the most commonly used data collection method was surveys (n = 120), followed by academic tests (n = 14). Other methods included interviews (n = 6), focus groups (n = 4), written reflections (n = 3), user data (n = 1), and blood tests (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

Important questions remain regarding the safety and inclusiveness of online learning spaces and approaches, particularly for members of historically excluded groups and learners in low-resource settings. More rigorous, theoretically informed research in online medical education is required to better understand the social implications of online medical education, including more in-depth, qualitative investigations about well-being and inclusion and more strategies for ensuring online spaces are safe, inclusive, and supportive.

Effectiveness of a Visual Interactive Game on Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Practices, and Clinical Parameters among Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a novel interactive game-based visual performance technique (IGVP) and conventional oral health educational (OHE) talk on plaque control, gingival health, and oral hygiene knowledge and practices in 12−15-year-old schoolchildren. A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was undertaken in a private primary school in Belagavi, Karnataka, India. A total of 100 children aged 12−15 years were randomly assigned to either a conventional OHE talk (control group, n = 50) or the IGVP technique (test group, n = 50), using a computer-generated table of random numbers. A self-designed, pre-validated closed-ended questionnaire was collected from both groups, followed by clinical examination carried out using gingival and plaque index, pre- and post-intervention, at three months follow-up. There was a significant reduction in the mean gingival score and plaque score in the test group after intervention, indicating a 58.7% and 63.4% reduction, when compared to the control group, which had a 2.8% and 0.7% reduction, respectively (p < 0.001). The test group showed a significant increase in the percentage of knowledge gained (22.4%), compared to control group (7.8%). The IGVP technique proved to be more effective than a conventional OHE talk in the reduction of the plaque score, gingival score, and in the improvement of the knowledge of oral hygiene maintenance and its application.

The usability evaluation on mobile learning apps with gamification for middle-aged women

Mobile learning and gamification are becoming increasingly popular, especially in education. Numerous researches suggest that mobile learning apps with gamification can improve student learning. However, there are fewer studies that analyze the gamification effects and usability of mobile apps for middle-aged women. The aim of this study is to propose a new mobile learning app with gamification aspects for the use of middle-aged women in memorizing Arabic words. In the preliminary study, pre and post-tests were conducted to determine the effect of the use of the gamification application on 61 middle-aged women using Kahoot! game. The results from the Kahoot! game shows that participants enjoy learning and can memorize Arabic words effectively, indicating that gamification can motivate learning among middle-aged women. Then the usability of a new mobile app prototype containing learning notes and quizzes for user self-learning purposes was evaluated using three (3) criteria namely effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The considered indicators to measure the application's effectiveness are (a) tapping behaviour (number of taps used to perform a specific task), (b) number of attempts (how many times users tried to complete the task successfully), and (c) quiz score (score obtained by user after self-learning using the mobile app). Two variables were used to measure the efficiency of the application: the duration of task completion and the number of requests for help. In order to evaluate the satisfaction, a questionnaire was used to determine how respondents rated the mobile app's usability. The usability evaluation results show that the proposed mobile app was effective as users could utilize all the modules provided and successfully answer the quiz questions.

A systematic review of health sciences students' online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate health sciences students using systematic review. Online learning has been chosen as the best approach to continue offering education in this pandemic era.

METHOD

The screening process was done using Scopus, ScienceDirect and PubMed based on the eligibility criteria. Out of 1486 studies, 1269 were screened. A total of 64 eligible studies obtained were included in the quantitative analysis. Results were categorized into i) student attitudes (perceptions/satisfactions/engagements), and ii) student learning outcomes, and compared to the Kirkpatrick model.

RESULTS

Although facing difficulties, 50% of the studies was moderately satisfied with distance learning, while 36% was highly satisfied and 17% dissatisfied. Most studies (26%) reported flexibility in online learning. Internet issues (19%) and low interaction between learners and instructors (19%) were the most prevalent problems mentioned. Online education engages students better than traditional learning. The learning outcome was assessed using two categories: i) academic performance and ii) skill development. Most studies (72%) stated that online learning improves academic performance, 14% reported a drop, and 14% stated no effect, while an increase in clinical skills and communication skills were reported. Kirkpatrick evaluation revealed 80% of the studies obtained was evaluated at level 1 (reaction), 8% at level 2 (learning), 12% at level 3 (behaviour) and none at level 4 (results).

CONCLUSION

Overall, this systematic review found that the online learning performed better than expected during COVID-19, but the data gained is insufficient to say it is beneficial when compared to other types of teaching approaches.

Utilizing gamification effect through Kahoot in remote teaching of immunology: Medical students' perceptions

INTRODUCTION

Gamification of learning is a novel pedagogical approach in education, and Kahoot is one of the game-based learning platforms widely used for formative assessments in real-time. This study aimed to explore the medical students' perception of using Kahoot in remote learning.

METHODS

The mixed-method study was carried out among 72 medical students (in third-year) at Eastern University, Sri Lanka, following a formative assessment on immunology conducted via zoom video conferencing and Kahoot. The students' perception was collected through a google form, which consisted of 13 statements with a 5-point Likert scale and an open-ended question. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney test were computed using SPSS ver. 25. A content analysis was employed to interpret the qualitative statements.

RESULTS

The participants' age ranges from 23-28 years with male-female ratio of 1:1.57. The majority of the students felt happy (73.6%) while playing Kahoot remotely and recommended it (84.7%) for formative assessment in future. The participants agreed that Kahoot increased the focus, understanding of the subject, helped retain knowledge, motivated them to learn, provided fun during learning, and kept them active throughout. The majority of the participants agreed that Kahoot was an effective tool for distance learning. Internet connectivity and switching between two applications were identified as difficulties while playing remote mode Kahoot quizzes.

CONCLUSION

The online gaming platform Kahoot has a positive impact on learning immunology. Kahoot maintains its fun and enjoyable nature and motivates students to learn during remote teaching of immunology.

Virtual Pathology Education in Medical Schools Worldwide during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Advantages, Challenges Faced, and Perspectives

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted pathology education in medical schools worldwide towards online delivery. To achieve this goal, various innovative platforms were used by pathology educators and medical students, facilitating both synchronous and asynchronous learning. The aim of this study was to review the published evidence regarding remote pathology teaching at the medical school level during this period, present our own experience, and provide some perspectives regarding the best mode of pathology teaching post-pandemic. Among its advantages, virtual pathology education was considered among students and educators as convenient, flexible, and engaging, while learning outcomes were met and students’ academic performance was in general satisfactory. However, several challenges were faced. For instance, suboptimal internet connection compromised the flow of classes and was even associated with a lower academic performance. The lack of hands-on laboratory activities, such as operating the light microscope and tissue grossing, and the reduced student interactions among themselves and their instructors, were also pointed out as significant drawbacks of remote pathology education. Whereas online education has multiple advantages, experiencing the physical university environment, in-person interactions and teamwork, exposure to the “hidden curriculum”, and hands-on activities are vital for medical school education and future student development. In conclusion, the implementation of a blended approach in pathology education—where online and face-to-face sessions are jointly used to promote students’ engagement, interaction with their instructors and peers, and learning—could be the most optimal approach to pathology teaching in medical schools post-pandemic.

Serious Games as a Method for Enhancing Learning Engagement: Student Perception on Online Higher Education During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has enforced social isolation in many countries worldwide, which forced teachers at all levels of education, including the university context, to adapt new teaching strategies. This study presents a method developed in this regard, that is, serious games were used as a complement to synchronous online classes to ensure the continuity of pedagogical activities in a physiology course at Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile. Using serious games is a strategy in the field of gamification, which is a commonly used learning strategy for online teaching as necessitated by COVID-19. This study is quantitative in nature and conducted a questionnaire survey on 108 second-year undergraduate nursing students to determine their perception about this innovation. The results demonstrate that the students well valued the proposed pedagogical innovative model in terms of motivation and engagement. Moreover, they reported that the model can serve as a meaningful learning experience. These perceptions suggest that the model is an efficient strategy for implementing the physiology curricula in the context of online teaching. Moreover, the results imply that the model should be applied to other courses and disciplines in the undergraduate program and provide support that it is a valid strategy for face-to-face teaching. Lastly, the finding points to the potential of the model to be explored as a learning strategy in the age of education post-COVID-19.