Promoting engagement in embryology through gamified student-developed small group sessions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Embryology education presents challenges due to the dynamic nature of morphological changes and didactic teaching methods limiting engagement.
• Students struggle to visualize structural transitions, including development and degeneration, over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of student-developed, game-based small group sessions for teaching embryology.
• To enhance student engagement and understanding of complex embryologic development and congenital abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Graduate students led small group sessions focused on specific organ systems.
• Students designed game-based activities (e.g., Minute-to-Win-It, Jeopardy, card games) centered on embryologic processes or congenital defects.
• Activities included developing learning objectives and assessment questions.

Main Results:

• Students created diverse activities demonstrating complex embryological processes.
• Game-based sessions effectively engaged peers in learning embryology.
• End-of-course evaluations showed positive student perceptions of these sessions.

Conclusions:

• Student-developed game-based sessions are a valuable tool for engaging peers in embryology.
• These sessions facilitate application and integration of embryology content in a fun, low-stakes setting.
• This approach offers an effective alternative to traditional didactic lectures for embryology education.