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Aster A, Laupichler MC, Zimmer S, Raupach T. Game design elements of serious games in the education of medical and healthcare professions: a mixed-methods systematic review of underlying theories and teaching effectiveness. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2024;29(5):1825-1848.
Abstract
Serious games, as a learning resource, enhance their game character by embedding game design elements that are typically used in entertainment games. Serious games in its entirety have already proven their teaching effectiveness in different educational contexts including medical education. The embedded game design elements play an essential role for a game's effectiveness and thus they should be selected based on evidence-based theories. For game design elements embedded in serious games used for the education of medical and healthcare professions, an overview of theories for the selection lacks. Additionally, it is still unclear whether and how single game design elements affect the learning effectiveness. Therefore, the main aim of this systematic review is threefold. Firstly, light will be shed on the single game design elements used in serious games in this area. Second, the game design elements' underlying theories will be worked out, and third, the game design elements' effectiveness on student learning outcome will be assessed. Two literature searches were conducted in November 2021 and May 2022 in six literature databases with keywords covering the fields of educational game design, serious game, and medical education. Out of 1006 initial records, 91 were included after applying predefined exclusion criteria. Data analysis revealed that the three most common game design elements were points, storyline, and feedback. Only four underlying theories were mentioned, and no study evaluated specific game design elements. Since game design elements should be based on theories to ensure meaningful evaluations, the conceptual GATE framework is introduced, which facilitates the selection of evidence-based game design elements for serious games.
Wang YF, Hsu YF, Fang KT, Kuo LT. Gamification in medical education: identifying and prioritizing key elements through Delphi method. Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2302231.
Abstract
Background: Gamification has gained popularity in medical education, but key elements have not been formally identified. This study aimed to generate and prioritize a list of key elements of gamification in medical education. Methods: This study utilized a two-stage approach, including the Delphi method and qualitative interview. Nineteen medical educators with expertise in gamification participated in the Delphi method stage. Experts who had more than three years of experience with gamification in medical education constituted the expert panel. The experts were then asked to rate the gamification elements using the Likert five-point scale through at least two consensus-seeking rounds. Consensus for key elements was predefined as ≥ 51% of respondents rating an element as 'important' or "very important." In the qualitative interview stage, 10 experts provided feedback on the application of these key gamification elements. Results: Eighteen participants (11 males and 7 females) completed the entire Delphi process for this study. After two rounds of surveys, the consensus was reached on all elements. Thirteen elements scored more than 4 points (37%) and reached the criteria of key elements of gamification in medical education. The top five key elements were integration with instruction objectives, game rules, rapid feedback, fairness, and points/scoring. The thirteen key elements for successful gamification in medical education were further organized into two main categories: (1) gamification design principles and (2) game mechanisms. Conclusions: Integration with educational objectives, gamification in curriculum design and teaching methods, and balancing between the mechanisms and principles were the three key components for successful gamification. This study explored the gamification key elements, providing practical tips for medical educators in their efforts to gamify medical education. Future studies involving learners could be performed to examine the efficacy of these key elements in gamification.
Questions
- Why is it important for medical educators to consider game design elements when developing an educational game?
- What did you learn about the key design elements for serious games and gamification from these articles?
- What experience do you have with gaming in education for health professionals/professionals-in-training as an instructor, content expert, planner, and/or learner?