Support for and aspects of use of educational games in family medicine and internal medicine residency programs in the US: a survey

Abstract

BackgroundThe evidence supporting the effectiveness of educational games in graduate medical education is limited. Anecdotal reports suggest their popularity in that setting. The objective of this study was to explore the support for and the different aspects of use of educational games in family medicine and internal medicine residency programs in the United States.MethodsWe conducted a survey of family medicine and internal medicine residency program directors in the United States. The questionnaire asked the program directors whether they supported the use of educational games, their actual use of games, and the type of games being used and the purpose of that use.ResultsOf 434 responding program directors (52% response rate), 92% were in support of the use of games as an educational strategy, and 80% reported already using them in their programs. Jeopardy like games were the most frequently used games (78%). The use of games was equally popular in family medicine and internal medicine residency programs and popularity was inversely associated with more than 75% of residents in the program being International Medical Graduates. The percentage of program directors who reported using educational games as teaching tools, review tools, and evaluation tools were 62%, 47%, and 4% respectively.ConclusionsGiven a widespread use of educational games in the training of medical residents, in spite of limited evidence for efficacy, further evaluation of the best approaches to education games should be explored.

Gaming Habits and Opinions of Brazilian Medical School Faculty and Students: What's Next?

“…18 Medical educators and students, in our series, have shown a high rate of acceptance of games for medical education, quite similar to that observed in other studies, but UEL faculty and students have less knowledge or experience with educational games than their colleagues in other universities. Akl et al 19 showed that 92 percent of family/internal medicine residency program directors in the United States approve the use of games as an educational strategy, and 80 percent reported already using them, mainly as teaching tools (in 62 percent). Beggs et al 15 found that 71 percent of faculty members from several areas at the University of Ulster thought games can improve students' engagement, 56 percent thought games can motivate students, and 44 percent thought games can increase content retention; about 60 percent of Ulster educators already used games with their students.…”

Pre-service teacher development: A model to develop critical media literacy through computer game-play

“…But the games used in this study with medical students could be defined as trivial, and were played individually by the students. A number of problems are associated with this research (Akl et al 2010;Ke 2008). First, the games were used as a material thing that exists independently of the mind (i.e.…”

Teaching Geriatrics Using an Innovative, Individual‐Centered Educational Game: Students and Educators Win. A Proof‐of‐Concept Study

“…Digital game-based learning modules activate a variety of learning styles and are used to improve students' learning outcomes. 15 Educational games have permeated medical education in recent years. In medical curricula, applied games based on geriatrics have also been developed and implemented, although unlike GeriatriX, these are not educational games with clinical reasoning, and they have received little attention regarding their effect.…”

“…The second challenge was to engage students during the course and to create an active learning style. Digital game‐based learning modules activate a variety of learning styles and are used to improve students' learning outcomes . Educational games have permeated medical education in recent years.…”