What do we know about gamification in medical education?

Gamification in medical education is a strategy that applies game-like elements to learning activities, aiming to enhance engagement, motivation, and potentially improve learning outcomes. These methods can be used in real time or asynchronously. There are many tools that can be used either by themselves or integrated into other teaching materials (such as PowerPoint presentations) Research on gamification in medical education suggests that it can be beneficial in various ways:

1. Enhanced Engagement and Motivation: Gamification can increase enjoyment and motivation among medical students, which supports their education[3].

2. Improved Learning Outcomes: Some studies have confirmed the positive implications of serious games on teaching knowledge, indicating that gamification can improve learning outcomes[1].

3. Increased Collaboration: Gamification has been noted to enhance collaboration among learners, which is a valuable skill in medical practice[4].

4. Support for Remote Teaching: In the context of remote teaching, gamification can help solve engagement difficulties and improve learner motivation[4].

5. Risk-Free Healthcare Practice: By allowing for real-world application in a controlled environment, gamification may promote risk-free healthcare practice[2].

Educators should be aware of some potential downsides to these methods:

- Competition vs. Collaboration: Competitive gamification must be carefully evaluated as it may not always lead to the intended behavior or learning outcomes. A collaborative approach may be more beneficial in some cases[3].

- Need for Further Research: The field of gamification research is still developing, and there may be a publication bias towards positive results. More large-scale and theory-based studies are needed to fully understand the impact of gamification on learning outcomes[5].

In summary, while gamification in medical education shows promise and has been associated with several positive outcomes, it is important to approach its implementation thoughtfully and to continue researching its effects to ensure that it is used effectively.

Citations:

[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1113682/full

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35637557/

[3] https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-023-04258-5

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10020233/

[5] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10459-020-10000-3

Post edited and verified by Scott Bickel, MD with assistance from perplexity.ai