An Exploratory Evaluation of Game Experience in a Gamified Online Telehealth Learning Module

To evaluate health science students' learning experience and perceptions of GENIE (Gamified Asynchronous LEarNing of IPE Telehealth) and gather feedback to refine the module's design and improve learners' engagement.

Online telehealth education helps health science students build professional knowledge while offering flexibility in meeting clinical hour requirements. To make this learning more engaging, we developed GENIE, a gamified module based on Keller's ARCS motivational framework. While gamification can enhance learning, how students actually interact with GENIE's features remains unclear.

An exploratory mixed-methods, cross-sectional study was conducted among health science students at the University of Utah Health campus using convenience sampling. Participants were voluntarily recruited through the Interprofessional Education (IPE) program between October and December 2022.

We conducted an exploratory mixed-methods, cross-sectional study with 30 health science students. Quantitative data were collected using the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), Post-Game Experience Questionnaire (PGQ) and the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Qualitative data were obtained through open-ended questions administered via REDCap.

Participants were primarily female nursing students (53%, n = 16). The quantitative and qualitative findings were consistent, indicating that students perceived GENIE as moderately effective in its use of gamification. GEQ results indicated low to moderate engagement, while SIMS scores reflected moderately positive motivation. PGQ findings suggest that the GENIE module was manageable and elicited neutral emotional engagement. Open-ended feedback emphasized a desire for more challenging game elements and richer interactive storytelling features.

This exploratory evaluation suggests that gamified online telehealth learning may support health science students' engagement and motivation in online telehealth courses. Participants identified more challenging elements, narrative-driven interactions and interactive features as key opportunities to enhance the GENIE module. These preliminary findings can inform the future development and evaluation of gamified approaches in health science education.

The findings support incorporating gamification into nursing and health science education to enhance student motivation, engagement and teamwork. Gamified telehealth learning experiences may better prepare students for telehealth communication and interprofessional collaboration in future virtual care practice.