Minigames for Teaching the Cardiovascular System to Students of Human Anatomy

Abstract

We are building a series of cell‐phone based minigames as a new approach to teaching cardiovascular concepts. The minigames belong to the first iteration of our intelligent textbook, Cardiovascular and Respiratory Anatomy Map (CRAM). They are part of a larger suite of games under a common umbrella that teach students the key concepts in human anatomy. Playing games engages student interest and enables students to learn at a lower stress level. Our goal is to enable students to master this material without getting distracted by different but related concepts in the cardiovascular system.The purpose of this game is to demonstrate that oxygenated and deoxygenated blood flow patterns in the pulmonary circuit are different than in the systemic circuit. We ask students to learn the names of the arteries and veins that supply and drain the heart and lungs. In the first stage of the game, students just need to identify correctly which vessels contain oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and the direction of blood flow.Students run this game on a cell phone or laptop. The screen shows the main organs involved in this process, namely the heart, the two lungs (one on each side of the screen), and a stick‐figure representation of the body. The organs are connected by the great vessels that transport blood to and from the heart and lungs. Students click on the arrows representing the vessels and color them red or blue. When they color a vessel incorrectly, the system responds with information to correct their misconception. For example, if the student colors the pulmonary arteries red, they are informed that the pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the heart.This game is the first of a series of games teaching students the fundamentals of cardiac anatomy and function. Different from other materials that teach cardiovascular function, the first game does not make students memorize the chambers of the heart and their relationship to the great vessels. We believe that separating this issue from understanding the higher level relationship between the organs reduces the initial cognitive load on students and streamlines their ability to attain mastery of the entire system. A typical human anatomy book requires 30–40 pages of text to cover the material we present in a series of minigames. This approach appeals to contemporary students who prefer to use their cell phones for learning and are reluctant to read the assigned text.The system has two take‐home messages. In mammals, the pulmonary arteries are the exception to the rule that an artery always carries oxygenated blood because they receive deoxygenated blood from the heart. In addition, the lungs only provide oxygen to body tissues via the heart, which is a double‐circuit pump. In this game, students assimilate this information via active participation rather than by rote memorization.