Rethinking the use of board games in neuroanatomy teaching: a complementary and low-cost tool to improve learning performance

Abstract

The use of board games has enhanced the learning performance of several disciplines in undergraduate courses. Nevertheless, the high investments for its development have been considered a negative factor to incorporate this tool into curricula. Moreover, there is still some lack of evidence about the efficacy of this educational tool in learning of Neuroanatomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students' perception and the effectiveness of the use of low-cost board games as a complementary tool in the learning process of Neuroanatomy. 35 Physiotherapy students were divided into “control group” (traditional method) and “experimental group” (traditional method + “NeuroGame”) with 17 and 18 participants, respectively. A pre-test knowledge questionnaire was applied to both groups. In the experimental group, the games involved central nervous system macroscopy structures during three practical classes. Post-test knowledge questionnaire was applied to both groups. In addition, the experimental group answered a questionnaire of 20 items with 3 points of the Linkert scale, to evaluate the students' perception about the use of these games as a teaching strategy. The experimental group showed significant increase in performance during the post-test, when compared to the control group (P = 0.0212). According to the students, the “NeuroGame” was attractive, informative, it encouraged teamwork and modified their attitudes and perceptions on learning the discipline. Therefore, the “NeuroGame” constitute a low-cost and complementary method, which enhances the physiotherapy students’ learning of Neuroanatomy. It should be adopted into the curriculum of other educational institutions.