The Impact of Gamification on Nursing Students' Academic Performance: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Technology
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Traditional nursing lectures often lack student engagement due to passive learning.
• Game-based learning presents an innovative strategy to foster active learning and better educational outcomes.
• Gamification integrates game design elements into non-game contexts to enhance motivation and participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize existing literature on the effects of gamification on academic performance in prelicensure nursing students.
• To evaluate the impact of game-based learning strategies on nursing student engagement and learning.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review following Whittemore and Knafl's methodology.
• Systematic literature search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database for studies published post-2000.
• Inclusion of 18 quantitative studies after critical appraisal using evidence-based tools.

Main Results:

• Gamification was associated with enhanced academic performance among nursing students.
• Key themes identified include improved knowledge retention and increased student satisfaction.
• Evidence suggests a positive impact on the development of clinical skills.

Conclusions:

• Gamification positively impacts knowledge retention in nursing didactic courses.
• Further research is recommended to investigate gamification's influence on competency development and clinical skill application.
• Faculty development is crucial for effectively implementing gamification strategies in nursing education.