Abstract:

Gaming is an innovative teaching strategy that research has shown to be effective for improving nursing student learning outcomes (Royse and Newton, 2007).
It is a ‘competitive activity with a prescribed setting constrained by rules and regulations’ (Allery 2004) that provides support and reinforces the process of learning and evaluation at the classroom (Prensky, 2006). Specifically, it is very important to estimulate some student’s skills enhancing retention of knowledge, promoting problem-based learning, and motivating nursing students to become more active in their learning process.
According to the above mentioned issues, we are developing a free software based tool. The software, inspired in the popular game “Trivial Pursuit” would help as a multimedia tool for the learning and evaluation of the student. We have considered five course corresponding to the first year of nursing. The primary purpose of this study was to examine if the use of gaming would have an impact on learning and retention of knowledge.
Research questions included: What is the difference on pre and post-test scores of nursing students participating in gaming and traditional examination? What is the global satisfaction level and the feed back when using gaming as a method of examination versus the traditional examination of nursing students?
The sample (N = 80) was a non-probability convenience sample of available nursing students. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental and a control group.
The results indicated that non traditional (gaming) teaching method is more efective tan traditional (test examination) for final scores and the student’s satisfaction.

Keywords:

Multimedia method, learning-teaching process, innovation.