Comparing Gamified and Traditional Approaches in Neuroanatomy Education: Effects on Academic Performance and Critical Thinking

Ayesha Haque Ayesha Haque

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.531

Authors

Ayesha Haque Professor of Anatomy, National University of Sciences and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.531

Keywords:

Gamification, Critical Thinking, Medical Education, Academic Performance

Abstract

Objective: To compare the academic scores and critical thinking disposition of undergraduate dental students taught through gamification and traditional methods. Study Design: A comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, HITEC-Institute of Medical Sciences, Dental College, Taxila, from September to November 2022. Methodology: Fifty-four first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students were randomly assigned to a control group (Group A) and an experimental group (Group B). Group A participated in traditional small-group discussions following large group interactive sessions (LGISs), while Group B engaged in a gamified learning intervention ("Heads Up"). Each intervention consisted of eight sessions, with knowledge assessed through MCQs after each session and critical thinking disposition compared using the Yoon Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (YCTDI) after the study. Post-intervention, the groups crossed over to validate results. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Participants in Group B demonstrated significantly higher academic scores in MCQ-based tests compared to Group A (p < 0.05). Critical thinking disposition, particularly in the self-confidence subdimension, was also significantly higher in Group B (4.08 ± 0.88) compared to Group A (3.55 ± 0.86). Conclusion: Gamification is an effective, low-cost, and engaging strategy for teaching neuroanatomy, enhancing academic performance and critical thinking disposition among dental students.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Brull, S., & Finlayson, S. (2016). Importance of Gamification in increasing learning. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 47(8), 372-375. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20160715-09

Castro, T. C., & Gonçalves, L. S. (2018). The use of gamification to teach in the nursing field. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 71(3), 1038-1045. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0023

Akl, E. A., Pretorius, R. W., Sackett, K., Erdley, W. S., Bhoopathi, P. S., Alfarah, Z., & Schünemann, H. J. (2010). The effect of educational games on medical students’ learning outcomes: A systematic review: BEME guide no 14. Medical Teacher, 32(1), 16-27. https://doi.org/10.3109/01421590903473969

Foster, W., Sweet, L., & McNeill, L. (2020). Linking out loud (LOL): Developing critical thinking. MedEdPublish, 9, 42. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000042.1

Gudadappanavar, A. M., Benni, J. M., & Javali, S. B. (2021). Effectiveness of the game-based learning over traditional teaching–learning strategy to instruct pharmacology for phase II medical students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_624_20

Beylefeld, A. A., & Struwig, M. C. (2007). A gaming approach to learning medical microbiology: Students’ experiences of flow. Medical Teacher, 29(9-10), 933-940. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590701601550

Cusick, J. (2016). A jeopardy-style review game using team clickers. MedEdPORTAL. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10485

Michael, W. B., & Coffman, W. E. (1956). Book reviews : Taxonomy of educational objectives, the classification of educational goals, handbook I: Cognitive domain, by Benjamin S. Bloom (ed.). New York: Longmans, green and company, I956. 207 pp. $I.50. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 16(3), 401-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316445601600310

Greenwald, R., & Quitadamo, I. J. (2014). A Mind of Their Own: Using Inquiry-based Teaching to Build Critical Thinking Skills and Intellectual Engagement in an Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Course. PubMed, 12(2).

Witt, E. E., Onorato, S. E., & Schwartzstein, R. M. (2022). Medical students and the drive for a single right answer: Teaching complexity and uncertainty. ATS Scholar, 3(1), 27-37. https://doi.org/10.34197/ats-scholar.2021-0083ps

Javed, K., Rafique, S., & Azhar, T. (2022). Impact of Gamification on education prime time. Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 16(3), 18-19. https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2216318

Granger, B. B., Rogers, J., Miller, C., Martin, K., & Olson, D. M. (2017). The language of data program: Use of gaming to promote critical appraisal skills. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 15(1), 80-82. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12252

Lee, L., Wang, S., Chao, Y., Tsai, M., Hsin, L., Kang, C., Fu, C., Chao, W., Huang, C., Li, H., & Chuang, C. (2018). Mobile technology in E-learning for undergraduate medical education on emergent otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery disorders: Pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR Medical Education, 4(1), e8. https://doi.org/10.2196/mededu.9237

Jodoi, K., Takenaka, N., Uchida, S., Nakagawa, S., & Inoue, N. (2021). Developing an active-learning app to improve critical thinking: Item selection and gamification effects. Heliyon, 7(11), e08256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08256

Garcin, B., Mariani, L., Méneret, A., Mongin, M., Delorme, C., Cormier, F., Renaud, M., Roze, E., & Degos, B. (2019). The “Neurological hat game”: A fun way to learn the neurological semiology. Revue Neurologique, 175(9), 528-533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2019.01.395

Thompson, A. R., & O'Loughlin, V. D. (2014). The blooming anatomy tool (BAT): A discipline‐specific rubric for utilizing bloom's taxonomy in the design and evaluation of assessments in the anatomical sciences. Anatomical Sciences Education, 8(6), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1507

Shin, H., Park, C. G., & Kim, H. (2015). Validation of Yoon's critical thinking disposition instrument. Asian Nursing Research, 9(4), 342-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2015.10.004

Huber, C. R., & Kuncel, N. R. (2016). Does college teach critical thinking? A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 86(2), 431-468. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315605917

Angelelli, C. V., Ribeiro, G. M., Severino, M. R., Johnstone, E., Borzenkova, G., & Da Silva, D. C. (2023). Developing critical thinking skills through gamification. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 49, 101354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101354

Li, M., Ma, S., & Shi, Y. (2023). Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253549

Mao, W., Cui, Y., Chiu, M. M., & Lei, H. (2021). Effects of game-based learning on students’ critical thinking: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(8), 1682-1708. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331211007098

McDonald, S. D. (2017). Enhanced critical thinking skills through problem-solving games in secondary schools. Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 13, 079-096. https://doi.org/10.28945/3711

Lee, H., Parsons, D., Kwon, G., Kim, J., Petrova, K., Jeong, E., & Ryu, H. (2016). Cooperation begins: Encouraging critical thinking skills through cooperative reciprocity using a mobile learning game. Computers & Education, 97, 97-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.03.006

Hattie, J. (2023). Meta-analysis and criticisms of visible learning. Visible Learning: The Sequel, 19-42. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003380542-2

Mayer, R. E. (2019). Computer games in education. Annual Review of Psychology, 70(1), 531-549. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102744

Singhal, S., Hough, J., & Cripps, D. (2019). Twelve tips for incorporating gamification into medical education. MedEdPublish, 8, 216. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2019.000216.1

Landers, R. N. (2014). Developing a theory of Gamified learning. Simulation & Gaming, 45(6), 752-768. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114563660

Kaur, M., & Mahajan, R. (2023). Inculcating critical thinking skills in medical students: Ways and means. International Journal of Applied & Basic Medical Research, 13(2), 57-58. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijabmr.ijabmr_214_23