Gamification in endodontic education: a pilot study on student engagement and perceived learning outcomes

The integration of gamification in educational settings has emerged as an innovative strategy to enhance student engagement and knowledge retention, particularly in complex fields like dentistry. This descriptive, survey-based study investigates the impact of gamified lectures on the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students in endodontic instrument education.

By incorporating interactive elements such as real-time quizzes, live polls, and immediate feedback, the research explores how gamification can transform traditional passive learning environments. The study involved undergraduate dental students and employed a structured survey questionnaire to assess engagement, knowledge retention, and student perceptions.

Quantitative analysis using SPSS revealed significant findings: 56.6% of students rated the lectures as "very engaging" or "extremely engaging", and 66% reported that gamification significantly contributed to their understanding of the subject matter. Correlation analyses demonstrated positive relationships between engagement, retention, and satisfaction, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.535 (p = 0.003) to 0.621 (p < 0.01). The results underscore the potential of gamification in dental education, particularly in enhancing student engagement and perceived understanding. However, the findings reflect short-term, self-reported outcomes and do not yet confirm long-term knowledge retention, which warrants further investigation.

The results underscore the potential of gamification in dental education, highlighting its effectiveness in motivating active participation and improving learning outcomes. By providing empirical evidence of gamification's benefits, this study contributes valuable insights for curriculum development and innovative pedagogical approaches in health professions education.