Open-Access Web-Based Gamification in Pharmacology Education for Medical Students: Quasi-Experimental Study
Lujain Aloum1, Halah Ibrahim1, Senthil Kumar Rajasekaran1
1Department of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
JMIR Medical Education
|December 5, 2025
Summary
Gamification significantly improved medical students' pharmacology knowledge retention compared to traditional lectures. This active learning approach enhances engagement and understanding of complex concepts.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pharmacology
- Educational Technology
Background:
- Medical education predominantly uses didactic lectures.
- There's a growing trend towards active learning strategies like gamification.
- Gamification offers a novel approach to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement and evaluate three web-based pharmacology games for medical students.
- To assess the impact of gamification on knowledge retention, engagement, and learning experience.
- To compare gamified learning with traditional didactic methods in pharmacology.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental design was employed.
- Students self-selected into gamer or control groups weekly.
- Pretest and posttest scores were compared, alongside survey data on student perceptions.
Main Results:
- The gamer group showed significantly higher posttest scores (P=.006) than the control group.
- 83% of students found the games enjoyable and 80% felt they aided understanding.
- 70% of students preferred gamified learning over didactic lectures, favoring a blended approach.
Conclusions:
- Gamification is an effective supplementary tool for teaching pharmacology to medical students.
- Web-based games can enhance knowledge retention and student engagement.
- A blended learning approach combining games with lectures may optimize pharmacology education.
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