Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Educational Application in the Quality of Students’ Learning in the Cardiac Surgery Technology Course

Abstract

Background: There are various methods for teaching content, which is the most common lecture method with the most minor retention in teaching. Innovation in basic science teaching methods is needed to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of technology. The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate an educational application (gamification) on students’ learning in the course of cardiac surgery technology. Methods: This study is applied research in this project in which we intended to make the concepts of cardiac surgery technology understandable, enjoyable, and easy for students using an educational application (gamification) method. In this study, an educational application was created and provided to the students. Finally, three areas of student perception of learning, their scientific ability, and their educational atmosphere were evaluated via the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. Results: According to the demographic findings, out of 110 samples, 65 (59%) were female students, and the mean age of the participating students was 21.23±2. The application was compatible with the Android operating system. It consisted of three parts investigating anatomy, surgical procedure, and cardiac surgical instruments and other parts investigating search, game guide, and participants’ points. Students’ learning and learning environment were evaluated as high (good picture of learning). Regarding the learning dimension and educational atmosphere, the highest score was related to the learning dimension (45.1). Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean perception scores of male and female students. Conclusion: With the advancement of technology and industrialization of different societies, the use of new learning methods will be highly effective in educating students. According to the results of this study, students’ satisfaction with this educational application in cardiac surgery technology course indicated that this application upgrades and improves the learning of new teaching methods and motivates students to participate in the classroom. In other words, applying educational content can be fruitful.