Game-Based Learning in Pharmacy Education

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Educational Technology
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Pharmacy curricula must integrate active learning strategies to meet accreditation standards.
• Game-based learning (GBL) is a pedagogical approach that incorporates game elements into educational activities to boost student engagement.
• Existing literature suggests GBL can capture student attention and, in some cases, improve knowledge retention within pharmacy education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application and effectiveness of game-based learning (GBL) in pharmacy education.
• To identify the potential benefits and challenges of implementing GBL in pharmacy curricula.
• To highlight the need for improved assessment strategies for GBL in pharmacy education.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on game-based learning in pharmacy education.
• Analysis of different GBL approaches, ranging from low-tech to high-tech implementations.
• Examination of current methods for assessing student learning outcomes in GBL settings.

Main Results:

• Well-designed GBL activities can effectively engage pharmacy students and enhance knowledge acquisition.
• GBL is adaptable across various pharmacy content areas, with varying levels of technological requirements.
• Significant barriers to GBL implementation include financial costs and the need for technological expertise.

Conclusions:

• Game-based learning presents a valuable tool for increasing pharmacy student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Current assessment methods for GBL in pharmacy education primarily rely on subjective measures or basic pre- and post-tests.
• Future research should focus on developing more robust and integrated assessment strategies, such as in-game performance evaluations, to fully leverage GBL's potential in pharmacy curricula.