Assessment and evaluation of a serious game for teaching factual knowledge in dental education

Abstract

Objectives: A serious game application was developed to train factual knowledge and for self-assessment. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of a game application (intervention group) or paper scripts (control group) on knowledge acquisition and to evaluate the acceptance of the new application among dental students.

Methods: The 4th semester students of the second preclinical prosthodontics course were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (n = 58/51) for two consecutive years. The study was conducted in two phases: First, all participants took a pretest, with the intervention group using the game application and the control group receiving the same set of questions in a paper script. In the second phase, all participants took a post-test. After the post-test, both groups had access to the application for another three weeks. After that, all participants completed standardized questionnaires and a scale to evaluate the usability of the system. Usage statistics were also tracked. Differences between groups were evaluated together and for both years separately in terms of pretest and posttest scores and learning success.

Results: There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to the posttest and learning success. A significant improvement in knowledge between pretest and posttest (p < 0.05) was demonstrated in both groups. Each student played approximately 350 questions. Participants rated the application with the German school grade "good". Participants appreciated the application and rated it positively. They stated that the game motivated them to learn and that they spent more time with the learning content.

Conclusion: Due to the positive perception achieved through the game, this application is able to motivate students to learn. The learning effect achieved is similar to learning on paper.

Keywords: Dental education; Factual knowledge training; Quiz; Serious game.

Fig. 1

Shows screenshots of the newly programmed serious game

Fig. 2

Shows a QR code linked to a video introducing the serious game app

Fig. 3

Shows the pre-test results (first diagram), post-test results (second diagram) and the differences between the pre-test and post-test results (last diagram). The first year's results are marked in blue and those of the second year in red. The maximum number of points achieved was 40. The star indicates the significant difference

Fig. 4

Shows the pooled results of the first and second year

Fig. 5

Shows the evaluation results concerning the statement "I give the app the German school grade". The first year's results are marked in blue and those of the second year in red