Promoting engagement in embryology through gamified student‐developed small group sessions

Learning embryology is often challenging for students as it requires conceptualizing morphological changes to embryologic structures across time. To further complicate the process, while some structures transition to permanent structures, others disappear or degenerate. Embryology is often taught didactically through lectures which limits student engagement. In this discursive article, we describe how we have implemented student-developed small group sessions where students often create game-based activities to engage their peers in embryologic development in a graduate embryology course. Students sign up to lead a small group session over a particular organ system, develop learning objectives, create an activity, and develop a series of questions for students to work through during the activity. Students can cover any aspect of development of their selected organ system but often choose a congenital abnormality and design their activity around the embryologic process through which the defect occurs. The student can choose any activity, but several session types are recommended including case-based learning sessions, crafting, and games. To date, students have developed a range of activities to demonstrate complex embryological processes and engage their peers in the session. We will describe several game-based activities including: Minute-to-Win-It, Embryology card games, Family Feud, and Jeopardy. Student perceptions of these sessions in end of course evaluations are overall positive and describe how the small group sessions give them an opportunity to apply and integrate embryology content in a fun and low-stakes environment. This article will demonstrate the value of student-developed game-based sessions in engaging their peers in embryology.