Serious games vs. traditional tutorials in the pandemic: a randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Health
• Serious Games

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online medical education.
• Traditional online teaching methods may not fully engage students.
• Evaluating innovative digital tools is crucial for effective remote learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of a serious game tutorial (PlayMed™) versus a traditional slideshow tutorial for online medical case-based learning.
• To assess student engagement, perceived safety, and knowledge acquisition in both tutorial formats.
• To evaluate the utility of serious games in undergraduate medical education during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, mixed-methods, randomized controlled trial was conducted with undergraduate medical students.
• Students were assigned to either the PlayMed™ (PM) or traditional slideshow tutorial (TT) group.
• Educational experience and knowledge acquisition (via MCQs) were assessed.

Main Results:

• PlayMed™ group showed significantly higher engagement and feelings of safety compared to the TT group.
• Students in the PM group were more likely to complete surveys and MCQs.
• PlayMed™ participants demonstrated superior immediate knowledge acquisition in bronchiolitis case-based learning.

Conclusions:

• Serious games like PlayMed™ are effective online teaching tools for medical education.
• PlayMed™ enhances student engagement and perceived safety in online learning environments.
• Serious games show potential for improving short-term knowledge acquisition in medical students.