REVIEW ARTICLE Year : 2023  |  Volume : 50  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 10-12

Gamification in medical education: An approach to enhance active engagement of students

Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Deputy Director – Academics, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Medical Education Unit Coordinator and Member of the Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India

Date of Submission13-Aug-2021Date of Decision10-Oct-2021Date of Acceptance17-Oct-2021Date of Web Publication24-Mar-2023

Correspondence Address:
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
MD, FAIMER, PGDHHM, DHRM, FCS, ACME, M.Phil. (HPE), Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Thiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District - 603 108, Tamil Nadu
India

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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DOI: 10.4103/jss.jss_113_21

Technology has found its root and application in all sectors, and the same stands true in the field of medical education. Moreover, with the emergence of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, the use of technology in online teaching-learning and assessment has increased immensely. The purpose of the current review is to explore the utility of gamification apps to enhance the active engagement of medical students. An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine and a total of five articles were selected based on their suitability with the current review objectives. Keywords used in the search include gamification and medical education. Gamification refers to the employment of elements of games in nongame contexts with an intention to engage users and making them to solve the given problems. It promotes the delivery of information in a learner-centered way and meets the requirement of individual students, especially by targeting those domains in which they are interested. These games are designed in such a way that it simulates problems of the real world, wherein students have to apply their knowledge into practice and simultaneously learn the clinical decision-making skills. In conclusion, gamification and the use of technology should be acknowledged as the new aspects of curriculum delivery and all efforts should be taken to incorporate them as one of the components of medical teaching and assessment in the near future across all medical institutions.

Keywords: Assessment, gamification, medical education

How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Gamification in medical education: An approach to enhance active engagement of students. J Sci Soc 2023;50:10-2
  Introduction 

Technology has found its root and application in all sectors, and the same stands true in the field of medical education.[1] In fact, technology has been looked upon as an effective supplement to ensure effective curriculum delivery in the past couple of decades.[1] Moreover, with the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the subsequent decision to close educational institutions, has acted as a major driving force to enhance the use of technology in online teaching-learning and assessment. In fact, almost all medical colleges decided to continue the process of learning through the application of technology and use of various software during this period of lockdown and even after.[2] The purpose of the current review is to explore the utility of gamification applications to enhance the active engagement of medical students.

  Methods 

An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine. Relevant research articles focusing on gamification and medical education published in 2014–2020 were included in the review. A total of seven studies similar to the current study objectives were identified initially, of which, two were excluded due to the unavailability of the complete version of the articles. Overall, five articles were selected based on their suitability with the current review objectives and analyzed. Keywords used in the search include gamification and medical education. The articles published in only the English language were included for the review. The collected information is presented under the following subheadings, namely student engagement in online teaching, gamification in medical education, merits of gamification, applications of gamification, limitations of gamification, implications for practice, and Implications for research.

Student engagement in online teaching

However, one of the biggest challenges of online teaching from the students' perspective has been the inability to engage students in the teaching-learning sessions for prolonged periods.[2] There have been concerns pertaining to the mere physical presence of the student without being actively engaged in the overall learning. To address this challenge, a number of strategies (viz., asking questions to students, encouraging small group teaching sessions, performing assessments during the session to identify the attention of students, asking the students to keep their webcam on during sessions, etc.) has been tried upon in different settings with the varied extent of success.[2]

Gamification in medical education

Gamification refers to the employment of elements of games in nongame contexts with an intention to engage users and making them to solve the given problems.[3] We cannot deny the presence of Internet, smartphones, and other software applications in the current generation of medical students and gamification is an approach to meet the requirements of the present students, who cannot be targeted by conventional teaching alone.[3],[4] At the same time, a modern-day clinician must acquire various other skills (such as digital literacy, teamwork, and leadership skills), and should not be satisfied with having only sound knowledge and clinical skills for successful medical practice.[1],[3]

Merits of gamification in medical education

Gamification promotes the delivery of information in a learner-centered way and meets the requirement of individual students, especially by targeting those domains in which they are interested.[4] The available studies on gamification in medical education have suggested their role in improving the learning outcomes among medical students through the activation of higher learning domains and ensuring alignment with the desired competencies.[3],[4] The other merit of gamification is that it brings about a significant enhancement in student engagement by improving student satisfaction, their concentration level and making the entire learning experience as fun-filled.[1]

These games offer immense opportunities for the students to work as a part of the medical team and thereby help them to augment their collaborative skills, which is a key entity for health care delivery. These games can also be used for the assessment and students can be assessed through a range of assessment methods (viz. multiple-choice questions, true/false, puzzle, fill in the blanks, etc.).[3],[4],[5] These games are designed in such a way that it simulates problems of the real world, wherein students have to apply their knowledge into practice and simultaneously learn the clinical decision-making skills. These games enable teaching in distance mode and offer a wide range of interactive experience to the students.[3],[5] Moreover, the provision of immediate feedback makes the learning more structured and effective. To make the learning more effective, there is a provision to incorporate details about patients, clinical features of patients, and advise in the game itself.[1],[4]

Applications of gamification

In the current generation, most of the adolescents who opt for medicine as profession are exposed to video games, mobile appliations, blogs, wikis, social networking, etc., and thus it becomes quite easier for the teachers to not only engage the students but also develop a strong bonding.[1],[3] A number of gamification apps such as 3D Anatomy, Bravo, Turning Point, Socrative, Kahoot, and Doctor's Dilemma have been designed and are being used for enhancing learning in different medical institutions across the world.[3],[4],[5] Further, gamification has found applications in a number of fields such as health/fitness, apps for the education of patients, and malaria parasite quantification beyond the scope of delivery of medical education.

Limitations of gamification

However, it is essential to realize the limitations as well, and thus it is a must that gamification should be designed in such a way that it enhances the motivation of students and that should reflect in their performance.[3],[4],[5] Further, we should always remember that gamification should be employed just to supplement face-to-face teaching and not as a substitute.[1],[4],[5] The need of the hour is to understand these limitations and select only those gamification tools which can benefit the students most with reference to the learning environment.

Implications for practice

The introduction of gamification in medical education is a challenging task for medical educators, especially for those who are not used to them. This calls for the need for the Medical Education Unit to organize a series of sensitization programs for the faculty members to empower them about these applications and the ways in which these apps can be used to impart effective medical teaching and assessment. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has made medical educators to explore gamification apps, but it is important that the work done on these lines should be continued even after the situation improves. The aim should be to benefit the medical students and help them to learn the desired competencies and empower them for the needs of the future professional career.

Implications for research

The utility of gamification in medical education is still in its earlier stages, especially in developing nations. There is immense scope to understand the scope of gamification in improving the concentration of medical students, the application of their knowledge in clinical practice, acquisition of core competencies, team management, and eventually its impact on the overall learning outcomes. It is the need of the hour to conduct more research in this booming field and get more credible results to help the regulatory bodies to design a structured framework for the meaningful integration in the medical curriculum. Moreover, qualitative research studies can also be planned to explore in-depth the perception of the different stakeholders in those institutions which have employed gamification in medical education. The insights obtained with regard to what worked and what could have been done better will significantly help the other institutions that are planning to implement gamification within their settings.

  Conclusion 

Gamification and use of technology should be acknowledged as the new aspects of curriculum delivery and all efforts should be taken to incorporate them as one of the components of medical teaching and assessment in the near future across all medical institutions.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

 

  References 
1.McCoy L, Lewis JH, Dalton D. Gamification and multimedia for medical education: A landscape review. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2016;116:22-34.  
    2.Dost S, Hossain A, Shehab M, Abdelwahed A, Al-Nusair L. Perceptions of medical students towards online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national cross-sectional survey of 2721 UK medical students. BMJ Open 2020;10:e042378.  
    3.Ahmed M, Sherwani Y, Al-Jibury O, Najim M, Rabee R, Ashraf M. Gamification in medical education. Med Educ Online 2015;20:29536.  
    4.Nevin CR, Westfall AO, Rodriguez JM, Dempsey DM, Cherrington A, Roy B, et al. Gamification as a tool for enhancing graduate medical education. Postgrad Med J 2014;90:685-93.  
    5.Muntasir M, Franka M, Atalla B, Siddiqui S, Mughal U, Hossain IT. The gamification of medical education: A broader perspective. Med Educ Online 2015;20:30566.