Biomedical
Evaluating a Dental Public-Health Game across Two Learning Contexts
Stylianos Hatzipanagos,
Tippanart Vichayanrat,
Patricia A. Reynolds,
Jennifer E. Gallagher
Peer Reviewed
Abstract
Serious games have been shown to be effective learning tools in various disciplines, including dental education. Serious-game learning environments allow learners to improve knowledge and skills. GRAPHIC (Games Research Applied to Public Health with Innovative Collaboration), a serious game for dental public health, was designed to simulate a town, enabling students to apply theoretical knowledge to a specific population by selecting health promotion initiatives to improve the oral health of the town population. This study employed a literature-based evaluation framework and a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design to evaluate the use of GRAPHIC among final-year dental undergraduates across two learning contexts: King’s College London in the United Kingdom and Mahidol University in Thailand. Two hundred and sixty-one students completed all designated tasks, and twelve participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings demonstrated knowledge improvement after game completion based on pre- and post-knowledge assessments, and the students’ perceptions of the game as an interactive and motivational learning experience. The evaluation identified five serious-game dimensions and clear alignment between these dimensions, demonstrating the impact of serious games in dental public health and, more widely, in healthcare education.
Key Questions
1. What are the benefits of using a dental public-health game for education?
The game enhances learning engagement and allows students to apply knowledge in an interactive, practical environment.
2. How does the learning context influence the effectiveness of the game?
The learning context can impact the level of interaction and effectiveness, depending on whether the game is used in classrooms or other settings.
3. What challenges were faced in evaluating the game?
Evaluation challenges included measuring learning outcomes, participant engagement, and differences between learning environments.
4. How can the game be improved for future educational use?
Improvements could include making the game more adaptable for different learning environments and increasing its interactivity.
