Academic Psychiatry (01/26/23) Katonai, Zoltan; Gupta, Rahul; Heuss, Sabina; et al.

A recent study evaluated healthcare workers' experiences, views and knowledge about serious games and gamification as a teaching method. "Serious games" were first detailed more than 50 years ago by Clark C. Abt, who explained they "have an explicit and carefully thought-out educational purpose and are not primarily intended for entertainment." Meanwhile, "gamification" involves the use of game mechanics in settings outside of the game to boost motivation and affect behavior, including with point systems, leaderboards and awards. For this study, researchers analyzed the responses of 223 participants in the fields of internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, nursing and other disciplines to questions regarding sociodemographic data, experience, attitudes and knowledge about serious games. The first part of the survey inquired about age, gender and profession; the second part focused on previous serious-game experience; and the final section examined personal knowledge and attitude. Twenty-two participants reported having had contact with serious games professionally or privately, and women significantly outnumbered men in their exposure to such instruction. Older participants tended to favor conventional and traditional learning methods over playful training, and younger participants more often felt non-conventional teaching methods could encourage professional development. A greater percentage of men than women also supported competitiveness in serious games. Support for playful teaching was strongest among respondents practicing psychiatry. The researchers note the findings show that "new, blended forms of teaching offer an opportunity to motivate future generations of healthcare workers to acquire the knowledge needed for their respective professions in creative ways."

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