Effectiveness of a Serious Game to Improve Nursing Students' Reasoning in Epidemic Scenarios

Rapid developments in digital technologies have significantly affected nursing education. This study aims to describe nursing students' experiences with the "Solve the Outbreak" game and their opinions on the effectiveness of this game-based educational program in developing their competence in the outbreak investigations. The research was conducted using qualitative methods. Twenty nursing students who had successfully completed the epidemiology course and volunteered participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews conducted after the students completed the "Solve the Outbreak" game. The interviews were conducted face-to-face, lasted ~25 to 30 minutes, and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data obtained were analyzed using content analysis techniques. Two main themes emerged in the study: learning while having fun (learning motivation, reinforced knowledge, and attitude and competence gain) and virtual learning experience (excessive time spent in the digital environment and cognitive fatigue, realism and content depth, competition and rewards, and localization and cultural sensitivity). The study findings indicate that taking student feedback into account in game design and integration into education processes can increase the effectiveness of such digital applications.