“Bionopoly” as a Gamechanger? Effects of Gamification on Learning Success, Motivation and Activation Among Medical Students in a Biochemistry Course

Gamification is characterized by the use of gaming elements in a non-gaming context. This concept is commonly applied in teaching to create a more meaningful and activating learning environment. The major aim of this study was to compare possible effects of gamification on a traditional interactive teaching concept in a biochemistry course on students' learning. This study was performed in summer semester 2024 with fourth semester medical students at Ulm University in Germany. Students were divided into two homogenous study groups that differed in the teaching concept. In the control group, students received instruction through traditional, interactive face-to-face lessons that included open-ended questions. In the gaming group, the quiz-game "Bionopoly" was introduced and the students were taught using a gamified didactic concept. Learning success was measured by a multiple-choice test at the beginning and the end of the course day. Satisfaction, motivation and a possible continuous activating effect were analyzed by an online evaluation and a handout questionnaire. Students of the gamified concept scored higher in the post-knowledge test. Furthermore, the gamified concept motivated the student's significantly more when compared to the traditional teaching concept. Measured throughout the entire course day, gamification had a stabilizing effect on students' concentration, motivation and interest in biochemistry. All in all our study provides evidence that gamification is an attractive teaching concept for practical courses with an accompanying seminar.