Exploring students' experience with game-based learning: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND

Game-based learning aims to promote student engagement and boost motivation in the classroom. However, creating long-term motivation in an education game is challenging and requires a balance between "fun" and "educational" objectives. The gaming platform Gimkit allows educators to create, host, and play quiz-based games in class and host game-based homework in learning management systems. Gimkit was introduced in 2 dental hygiene courses at a Canadian university: one was offered in person; the other was asynchronous online. This study aimed to explore students' perception of game-based learning experiences, their choice of game modes, and their source of motivation.

METHODS

Students from the second and third years of the dental hygiene program were invited to participate in a voluntary online survey to collect their perceptions of either the live quiz game or the game-based homework assignments, their choice of game mode, and their motivation to play. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the survey data.

RESULTS

Thirty-five percent (n = 15) of the in-person class and thirty percent (n = 14) of the online class completed the voluntary survey. All participants from the online and in-person groups strongly agreed that they improved their knowledge by playing the game.

DISCUSSION

Students were largely motivated extrinsically and played the game to learn course content. Students from the in-person class were driven towards Gimkit live quiz games by in-class competition. For online students, the "challenge of the game" was the most attractive feature of Gimkit.

CONCLUSION

Game-based learning with Gimkit can motivate dental hygiene students and promote self-determination.