Effect of Gamification on Student Engagement and Knowledge Retention in Medical Education

Abstract

Background: Gamification has emerged as a promising instructional approach in undergraduate medical education by incorporating interactive quizzes, achievement-based activities, feedback, and competitive or collaborative learning elements. It has garnered increasing interest for its ability to engage students more effectively and to promote long-term retention.

Objective: To evaluate student engagement, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge retention in relation to gamified teaching compared with conventional educational approaches.

Methodology: A comparative educational analysis comprising 77 undergraduate students, with 39 assigned to a gamification group and 38 to a conventional teaching group. Baseline, immediate and delayed assessment scores were used to assess knowledge performance. Constructed educational scores were used for assessing engagement, motivation, participation, and satisfaction. Comparations of statistics were performed using independent-samples t-tests, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests, Cramer's V and multivariable linear regression. SPSS compatible methods were used for statistical significance (p<0.05).

Results: In the analysis, immediate knowledge scores were higher in the gamification group than the conventional group (81.5 ± 9.6% versus 69.3 ± 11.7%; p<0.001). Delayed assessment scores were similarly higher (74.9 ± 10.4% versus 58.6 ± 12.9%; p<0.001). Overall engagement scores were 76.2 ± 8.0 and 65.8 ± 9.9, respectively (p<0.001). Adequate knowledge retention was demonstrated in 71.8% and 21.1% of students, respectively, using a cutoff (p<0.001). Engagement correlated positively with delayed knowledge performance (r=0.461; p<0.001).

Conclusion: Gamification offers a potentially valuable approach to improving student participation, learning motivation, and knowledge reinforcement in undergraduate medical education. Interactive educational activities incorporating structured feedback, repeated retrieval, and achievement-based learning may support both immediate knowledge acquisition and sustained retention.