The Pediatric Board Game

Abstract

A game was designed to further student learning in the field of pediatric medicine. This educational tool was designed in a board game format. Players advance through the board by answering questions correctly. A total of 400 questions were written with emphasis in content from core pediatric textbooks. Questions were created to encompass four increasingly difficult levels of play. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether gaming can be a valuable learning experience. During clinical clerkships and rotations in pediatric medicine, both third-year medical students and residents played the game in small-group settings. To date, 37 medical students and 12 residents have completed a post-game survey with a standard 5-point Likert scale. Seven faculties have also played the game and completed the survey. The survey was designed to assess the extent to which students, residents and faculty understood the purpose of the game and agreed that it was a valuable learning experience. The data yielded descriptive statistics for preliminary evaluation of the game. The survey responses suggest that medical students, pediatric residents and faculty observed that the game was a practical and engaging learning experience. The students have universally given high scores to all 10 survey questions. The development of The Pediatric Board Game has been a successful endeavor in medical education. Both educators and learners agree that the board game is a creative and innovative educational tool. Future plans of study will help develop, refine and apply the game to advance students' knowledge of pediatric medicine.