Department of Physiotherapy, Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
BMC Med Educ. 2013 Feb 25;13:30. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-13-30.
Educational computer games are examples of computer-assisted learning objects, representing an educational strategy of growing interest. Given the changes in the digital world over the last decades, students of the current generation expect technology to be used in advancing their learning requiring a need to change traditional passive learning methodologies to an active multisensory experimental learning methodology. The objective of this study was to compare a computer game-based learning method with a traditional learning method, regarding learning gains and knowledge retention, as means of teaching head and neck Anatomy and Physiology to Speech-Language and Hearing pathology undergraduate students.
Students were randomized to participate to one of the learning methods and the data analyst was blinded to which method of learning the students had received. Students' prior knowledge (i.e. before undergoing the learning method), short-term knowledge retention and long-term knowledge retention (i.e. six months after undergoing the learning method) were assessed with a multiple choice questionnaire. Students' performance was compared considering the three moments of assessment for both for the mean total score and for separated mean scores for Anatomy questions and for Physiology questions.
Students that received the game-based method performed better in the pos-test assessment only when considering the Anatomy questions section. Students that received the traditional lecture performed better in both post-test and long-term post-test when considering the Anatomy and Physiology questions.
The game-based learning method is comparable to the traditional learning method in general and in short-term gains, while the traditional lecture still seems to be more effective to improve students' short and long-term knowledge retention.
教育电脑游戏是计算机辅助学习对象的例子，代表了一种越来越受到关注的教育策略。鉴于过去几十年数字世界的变化，当前一代的学生希望在学习中使用技术，这需要将传统的被动学习方法转变为主动的多感官实验学习方法。本研究的目的是比较基于计算机游戏的学习方法和传统学习方法在头颈部解剖学和生理学教学中对言语-语言和听力病理专业本科生的学习收益和知识保留的影响。
学生被随机分配参加其中一种学习方法，数据分析员对学生接受的学习方法不知情。学生的先验知识（即在接受学习方法之前）、短期知识保留和长期知识保留（即在接受学习方法六个月后）通过多项选择题进行评估。从三个评估时刻考虑学生的表现，比较两种学习方法的平均总分和解剖学问题以及生理学问题的单独平均分。
接受基于游戏的方法的学生仅在考虑解剖学问题时，在后测评估中表现更好。接受传统讲座的学生在后测和长期后测中，在考虑解剖学和生理学问题时表现更好。
基于游戏的学习方法与传统学习方法在总体和短期收益方面相当，而传统讲座似乎仍然更有效地提高学生的短期和长期知识保留。
