Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores

Background: Gamification in academic settings is a specific type of Technology Enhanced Assessment (TEA) designed to engage learners in an interactive learning environment and increase motivation. Objective: To explore the role of gamification in improving the academic performance of medical stude...

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Main Authors: Madiha Ata, Shazia Irum, Fahad Azam, Abida Shaheen, Shahzad Riyaz, Muhammad Waqas Rabbani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College 2025-04-01
Series:Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/f4fa7e63-d487-48f6-a883-1d6be86fd16e.pdf
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author Madiha Ata
Shazia Irum
Fahad Azam
Abida Shaheen
Shahzad Riyaz
Muhammad Waqas Rabbani
author_facet Madiha Ata
Shazia Irum
Fahad Azam
Abida Shaheen
Shahzad Riyaz
Muhammad Waqas Rabbani
author_sort Madiha Ata
collection DOAJ
description Background: Gamification in academic settings is a specific type of Technology Enhanced Assessment (TEA) designed to engage learners in an interactive learning environment and increase motivation. Objective: To explore the role of gamification in improving the academic performance of medical students in Pakistan. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed for the present study, which was conducted from March to May 2022. 251 medical students attempted a formative assessment through online platforms with and without gamification. Students were interviewed for the collection of qualitative data. Results: Among the study participants, 54.2% were males and 45.8% were females, with a mean age of 19.26±1.14 years and 20.16±0.96 years in the first and second-year MBBS students respectively. The findings revealed a significant gender difference in test scores between students who used gamified and non-gamified assessment tools. However, the comparison of mean formative assessment scores with and without gamification did not yield statistically significant results. Overall, the students had a good perception of the introduction of gamification in assessment and expressed a desire to experience it more frequently. Conclusion: Gamified assessments can improve academic outcomes by promoting engagement and can mitigate gender disparities in assessment scores. Further research is warranted to explore the specific mechanisms by which gamification influences learning outcomes and to investigate its effectiveness across diverse student populations.
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publisher Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College
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spelling doaj-art-d0e0161ff2ca4fb79faa8a96132d81fb2025-08-20T02:17:04ZengLiaquat National Hospital and Medical CollegeLiaquat National Journal of Primary Care2707-35212708-91342025-04-017213013410.37184/lnjpc.2707-3521.7.30Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test ScoresMadiha Ata0Shazia Irum1Fahad Azam2Abida Shaheen3 Shahzad Riyaz4Muhammad Waqas Rabbani5Department of Health Professions Education, Indus University of Health Sciences, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Health Professions Education, Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Shifa College of Dentistry, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Behavioral Sciences, Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, PakistanBackground: Gamification in academic settings is a specific type of Technology Enhanced Assessment (TEA) designed to engage learners in an interactive learning environment and increase motivation. Objective: To explore the role of gamification in improving the academic performance of medical students in Pakistan. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed for the present study, which was conducted from March to May 2022. 251 medical students attempted a formative assessment through online platforms with and without gamification. Students were interviewed for the collection of qualitative data. Results: Among the study participants, 54.2% were males and 45.8% were females, with a mean age of 19.26±1.14 years and 20.16±0.96 years in the first and second-year MBBS students respectively. The findings revealed a significant gender difference in test scores between students who used gamified and non-gamified assessment tools. However, the comparison of mean formative assessment scores with and without gamification did not yield statistically significant results. Overall, the students had a good perception of the introduction of gamification in assessment and expressed a desire to experience it more frequently. Conclusion: Gamified assessments can improve academic outcomes by promoting engagement and can mitigate gender disparities in assessment scores. Further research is warranted to explore the specific mechanisms by which gamification influences learning outcomes and to investigate its effectiveness across diverse student populations.https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/f4fa7e63-d487-48f6-a883-1d6be86fd16e.pdfgamificationformative assessmentengagementmotivationgender differencestest anxiety.
spellingShingle Madiha Ata
Shazia Irum
Fahad Azam
Abida Shaheen
Shahzad Riyaz
Muhammad Waqas Rabbani
Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care
gamification
formative assessment
engagement
motivation
gender differences
test anxiety.
title Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
title_full Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
title_fullStr Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
title_full_unstemmed Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
title_short Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: Impact of Gamification on Student’s Test Scores
title_sort gamifying assessments in medical education impact of gamification on student s test scores
topic gamification
formative assessment
engagement
motivation
gender differences
test anxiety.
url https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/f4fa7e63-d487-48f6-a883-1d6be86fd16e.pdf
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