ERIC Number: EJ1462819
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-9772
EISSN: EISSN-1935-9780
Available Date: 2025-01-09
Histopoly: A Serious Game for Teaching Histology to 1st Year Veterinary Students
Ricardo Marcos1,2; André Gomes3; Marta Santos1,4; António Coelho3,5
Anatomical Sciences Education, v18 n3 p229-240 2025
Histology is a preclinical subject transversal in medical, dental, and veterinary curricula. Classical teaching approaches in histology are often undermined by lower motivation and engagement of students, which may be addressed by innovative learning environments. Herein, we developed a serious game approach and compared it with a classical teaching style. The students' feedback was evaluated by questionnaires, and their performance on quizzes and exam's scores were assessed. The serious game (Histopoly) consisted of a game-based web application for the teacher/game master, a digital gaming application used by the students as a controller, and a projected digital board game. The board featured rows for the four fundamental tissues (epithelial, connective, muscular, and nervous) paired with question tiles and additional tiles with more demanding activities (e.g., drawing, presenting slides, and making a syllabus). Participants included all veterinary students enrolled in the first year. Paired laboratory sessions were split with four sections (n = 94 students) playing Histopoly at the end of all sessions and two sections (n = 28 students) completing small evaluations every three weeks at the beginning of sessions. According to the questionnaires, students that played the serious game were more motivated, engaged, and more interconnected with classmates. The activity was considered fun, and students enjoyed the classes more. No differences in the final examination scores were found, but the percentage of correct answers provided throughout the serious game was significantly higher. Overall, these findings argue for the inclusion of serious games in modern histology teaching to promote student engagement in learning.
Descriptors: Veterinary Medical Education, Game Based Learning, Gamification, Learner Engagement, Anatomy, Teaching Methods, Science Education, Science Instruction, Outcomes of Education
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Cytology and Hematology Diagnostic Services, Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2Animal Morphology and Toxicology Team, CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal; 3Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 4UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto; ITR - Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Porto, Portugal; 5Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), Porto, Portugal