Abstract
BackgroundSerious games have the potential to teach complex cognitive skills in an engaging way, at relatively low costs. Their flexibility in use and scalability makes them an attractive learning tool, but more research is needed on the effectiveness of serious games compared to more traditional formats such e-modules. We investigated whether undergraduate medical students developed better knowledge and awareness and were more motivated after learning about patient-safety through a serious game than peers who studied the same topics using an e-module.MethodsFourth-year medical students were randomly assigned to either a serious game that included video-lectures, biofeedback exercises and patient missions (n = 32) or an e-module, that included text-based lectures on the same topics (n = 34). A third group acted as a historical control-group without extra education (n = 37). After the intervention, which took place during the clinical introduction course, before the start of the first rotation, all students completed a knowledge test, a self-efficacy test and a motivation questionnaire. During the following 10-week clinical rotation they filled out weekly questionnaires on patient-safety awareness and stress.ResultsThe results showed patient safety knowledge had equally improved in the game group and e-module group compared to controls, who received no extra education. Average learning-time was 3 h for the game and 1 h for the e-module-group. The serious game was evaluated as more engaging; the e-module as more easy to use. During rotations, students in the three groups reported low and similar levels of patient-safety awareness and stress. Students who had treated patients successfully during game missions experienced higher self-efficacy and less stress during their rotation than students who treated patients unsuccessfully.ConclusionsVideo-lectures (in a game) and text-based lectures (in an e-module) can be equally effective in developing knowledge on specific topics. Although serious games are strongly engaging for students and stimulate them to study longer, they do not necessarily result in better performance in patient safety issues.
Highlights
Serious games have the potential to teach complex cognitive skills in an engaging way, at relatively low costs
Medical students’ knowledge on patient safety and self-efficacy was improved after playing a serious game on patient safety (Air-Medic Sky-1); they perceived it as an entertaining format [19]
We investigated whether undergraduate medical students developed better patient safety knowledge and awareness and were more motivated after engaging with a serious game than after studying a simple e-module
Summary
Serious games have the potential to teach complex cognitive skills in an engaging way, at relatively low costs Their flexibility in use and scalability makes them an attractive learning tool, but more research is needed on the effectiveness of serious games compared to more traditional formats such e-modules. We investigated whether undergraduate medical students developed better knowledge and awareness and were more motivated after learning about patient-safety through a serious game than peers who studied the same topics using an e-module Online instructional formats such as e-modules and computer-based simulation programs are known to enhance knowledge [1,2,3] and skills [4, 5] and offer flexible and cost-effective learning opportunities [6]. An online game is scalable as it can, once developed, teach large groups of trainees with no extra costs per person
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