A serious game for online-based objective structured clinical examination in nursing: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online learning in educational institutions.
• Semester-end examinations in practical modules presented significant challenges during this transition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' perceptions of using a serious game-like model for their final online Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

Main Methods:

• An exploratory phenomenological study was conducted with 89 fourth-year nursing students.
• A virtual OSCE was designed as a story-telling game using the Genially platform.
• Data were collected through 5 focus groups and 30 semi-structured interviews, analyzed using content analysis with ATLAS.ti software.

Main Results:

• Two main themes emerged: 'generating emotions and feelings in times of virtuality' and 'online assessment: a potential alternative to educational barriers'.
• Students experienced varied emotions during the online assessment process.
• The game-like model was perceived as a viable alternative to traditional assessments, addressing learning implications and competence acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Serious game-like models are a suitable alternative for online OSCE assessments, complementing face-to-face methods.
• This study provides evidence for innovative resources in nursing OSCEs within the evolving educational landscape.
• Online OSCEs utilizing serious game-like models can empower students and mitigate perceived barriers to traditional assessments.