The Immunology Game: A Board Game to Enhance Medical Immunology Education

Immunology is challenging for medical students due to its complexity and dense content. Traditional learning methods, like lectures and textbooks, form the foundation of medical education but may not always sustain student engagement. Gamification, which incorporates game design elements into educational contexts, has shown promise as a supplemental tool to increase motivation and comprehension. This activity uses a proof-of-concept board game, The Immunology Game, to evaluate whether it could support and enhance students' understanding and enjoyment of immunology alongside traditional educational methods.

Participants were 41 first- and second-year medical students from Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, divided into two cohorts based on their lack of prior exposure to immunology courses (cohort 1; n = 24) or current enrollment in immunology coursework (cohort 2; n = 17). Students were then invited to play the game. Pre- and postgame quizzes measured knowledge improvement, while Likert-scale surveys (5-point ratings; 1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) captured students' perceptions of enjoyment, usability, and learning, as well as feedback.

Knowledge scores showed a 27% mean improvement from pre- to postgame in cohort 1 and a 19% mean improvement in cohort 2. Postgame survey results from all participants indicated high enjoyment (mean score 4.59), though students noted that the game's rules were challenging to grasp.

The Immunology Game effectively reinforces immunology concepts, engaging students while improving comprehension. Simplifying game instructions in future iterations may enhance usability, with further studies recommended to explore long-term knowledge retention.