Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Serious Games
Date Submitted: Feb 18, 2019
Date Accepted: Jul 17, 2019
Impact of using a 3D visual metaphor serious game to teach history taking content to medical students: A pilot study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
History taking is a key component of clinical practice, however, this skill is often poorly performed by students and doctors.
Objective:
To determine whether a 3D serious game is superior to another electronic medium (PDF text file) in learning the history taking content of a single organ system (cardiac).
Methods:
In 2015, a longitudinal mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) pilot study was conducted over multiple sampling time points (10 weeks) in a group of undergraduate medical students at The University of Auckland Medical School, New Zealand. Assessors involved in the study were blinded to group allocation. From an initial sample of 83, a total of 46 medical students were recruited. Participants were assigned to either a PDF group (n=19) or a game group (n=27). One participant left the PDF group after allocation was revealed and was excluded. 24 students in the game group and 14 students in the PDF group completed follow-up seven weeks later. Intervention: Using an iterative design process over a year and with input from a variety of clinical disciplines, a cardiac history taking game and PDF file were respectively designed informed by Cognitive Load Theory. Each group completed their respective intervention in 40 minutes. Three levels of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model were examined using validated questionnaires: affective (perception/satisfaction), cognitive (knowledge gains/cognitive load), and behavioural attitudes (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) as well as qualitative assessment. A priori hypotheses were formulated prior to data collection.
Results:
Compared to baseline, both groups showed significant improvement in knowledge and self-efficacy longitudinally (p=<0.0001). Apart from the game group having a statistically significant difference in terms of satisfaction (p=<0.0001), there were no significant differences between groups in knowledge gain, self-efficacy, cognitive load, ease of use, acceptability or OSCE scores. However, qualitative findings indicated that the game was more engaging, enjoyable and served as a visual aid compared with the PDF file.
Conclusions:
Students favoured learning through utilisation of a serious game with regard to cardiac history taking. This may be relevant to other areas of medicine and highlights the importance of innovative methods of teaching the next generation of medical students. Clinical Trial: null
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