The evolving landscape of medical education necessitates innovative teaching strategies that address both the complexity of clinical training and the diverse needs of learners. This commentary examines the comparative impact of traditional versus blended gamification on student engagement and skill development in medical education. Traditional gamification, characterized by non-digital methods such as role-playing and case-based competitions, enhances retention and practical skills through interactive, behaviorist-driven approaches but is constrained by physical classroom requirements. In contrast, blended gamification integrates digital technologies—including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and adaptive learning platforms—with conventional instruction, offering personalized, scalable, and immersive learning experiences that foster digital literacy and critical thinking. Despite the advantages of blended methods in improving practical skills and engagement, challenges persist, including financial barriers, unequal access to technology, and potential reductions in face-to-face interaction. The article underscores the importance of balancing innovation with inclusivity, recommending that educational administrators provide robust support and strategic planning to ensure equitable adoption and effective implementation. Ultimately, a hybrid approach that combines traditional and blended gamification can create a comprehensive, competency-focused framework, preparing future healthcare professionals to meet the ethical, technological, and collaborative demands of modern medicine. |
- Hamari J, Koivisto J, Sarsa H. Does gamification work? A literature review. HICSS. 2014. doi:10.1109/HICSS.2014.377.
- Dichev C, Dicheva D. Gamifying education: A critical review. Int J Educ Technol High Educ. 2017;14(1):9. doi:10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5.
- Deterding S, Dixon D, Khaled R, Nacke L. From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”. MindTrek '11: Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments; 2011 Sep 28-30; Tampere, Finland. NY, United States: Association for Computing Machinery; 2011. doi:10.1145/2181037.2181040.
- Domínguez A, Saenz-de-Navarrete J, de-Marcos L, Fernández-Sanz L, Pagés C, Martínez-Herráiz JJ. Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Comput Educ. 2013;63:380-92. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020.
- Surendeleg G, Murwa V, Yun H-K, Kim YS. The role of gamification in education–A literature review. Contemporary Engineering Sciences. 2014;7(29):1609-16. doi: 10.12988/ces.2014.411217.
- Bigdeli S, Hosseinzadeh Z, Dehnad A, Sohrabi Z, Aalaa M, Haghani F, Atlasi R. Underpinning Learning Theories of Medical Educational Games: A Scoping Review. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2023;37:26. doi: 10.47176/mjiri.37.26. PubMed PMID: 37180860; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10167642.
- Barata G, Gama S, Jorge J, Goncalves D. Engaging Engineering Students with Gamification. 5th International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications (VS-GAMES); 2013 Sep 11-13; Poole, UK. USA: IEEE; 2013. doi: 10.1109/VS-GAMES.2013.6624228.
- Landers RN, Callan RC. Casual Social Games as Serious Games: The Psychology of Gamification in Undergraduate Education and Employee Training. In: Ma M, Oikonomou A, Jain L (eds). Serious Games and Edutainment Applications. London: Springer; 2011. P. 399-423. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_20.
- Kapp KM. The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer; 2012.
- Dicheva D, Dichev C, Agre G, Angelova G. Gamification in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study. J Educ Technol Soc. 2015;18(3):75–88. doi:10.2307/jeductechsoci.18.3.75.
- Clark DB, Tanner-Smith EE, Killingsworth SS. Digital Games, Design, and Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Rev Educ Res. 2016;86(1):79-122. doi: 10.3102/0034654315582065. PubMed PMID: 26937054; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4748544.
- Ahmed M, Sherwani Y, Al-Jibury O, Najim M, Rabee R, Ashraf M. Gamification in medical education. Med Educ Online. 2015;20:29536. doi: 10.3402/meo.v20.29536. PubMed PMID: 26426401; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4590351.
- Bates AW. Teaching in a Digital Age. 2nd ed. Vancouver, B.C.: Tony Bates Associates Ltd.; 2019. Available from: https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2.
- Tan M, Hew KF. Incorporating meaningful gamification in a blended learning research methods class: Examining student learning, engagement, and affective outcomes. AJET. 2016;32(5). doi:10.14742/ajet.2232.
- van Gaalen AEJ, Brouwer J, Schönrock‑Adema J, Bouwkamp‑Timmer T, Jaarsma ADC, Georgiadis JR. Gamification of health professions education: a systematic review. Adv in Health Sci Educ. 2021;26:683–711. doi: 10.1007/s10459-020-10000-3.
- Al-Ansi AM, Jaboob M, Garad A, Al-Ansi A. Analyzing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) recent development in education. Social Sciences & Humanities Open. 2023;8(1):100532. Doi:10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100532.
- Zhao X, Ren Y, Cheah KS. Leading virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in education: bibliometric and content analysis from the web of science (2018–2022). Sage Open. 2023;13(3):21582440231190821. doi:1177/21582440231190821.
- Tene T, Vique López DF, Valverde Aguirre PE, Orna Puente LM, Vacacela Gomez C. Virtual reality and augmented reality in medical education: an umbrella review. Front Digit Health. 2024;6:1365345. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1365345. PubMed PMID: 38550715; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10973128.
- Surapaneni KM. "CARBGAME" (CARd & Board GAmes in Medical Education) as an innovative gamification tool for learning clinical enzymology in biochemistry for first year medical students. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2024;52(6):666-675. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21857. PubMed PMID: 39136227.
- de Almeida Soares CC, Araújo ML. Development and use of puzzle and board games to complement the learning of biochemistry at university. Journal of Biochemistry Education. 2022;20(2):191-208. doi:10.16923/reb.v20i2.991.
- Tabassum A. Challenges of implementing gamification in medical education: a scoping review. Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College. 2024;14(02):155-60. doi:10.51985/JBUMDC2023260.
- Chen CW. Low-tech serious games in higher education: bridging the digital divide and enhancing student thinking and performance. Humanit Soc Sci Commun. 2025;12(1):1-0. doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04341-2.
- Titova LO, Korniienko SS, Zahorodko PV, Moiseienko MV, Donchev II. Gamification as a tool for developing digital competence in higher education: Theory, practice, and implementation guidelines. CTE Workshop Proceedings. 2025;12,:78-107. doi: 10.55056/cte.927.
- Khoshnoodifar M, Ashouri A, Taheri M. Effectiveness of Gamification in Enhancing Learning and Attitudes: A Study of Statistics Education for Health School Students. J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2023;11(4):230-239. doi: 10.30476/JAMP.2023.98953.1817. PubMed PMID: 37901759; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10611935.
- Antonopoulou H. The role of gamification in enhancing cognitive and neuropsychological learning: A review. Technium BioChemMed. 2024;11:45-61. doi:10.47577/biochemmed.v11i.11970.
- Lampropoulos G, Kinshuk. Virtual reality and gamification in education: a systematic review. Educational technology research and development. 2024;72(3):1691-785. doi: 10.1007/s11423-024-10351-3.
- Suryani NY, Syahbani MH. Gamification and solo taxonomy: A strategy to promote active engagement and discipline in English language learning. English Review: Journal of English Education. 2023;11(3):777-86. doi:10.25134/erjee.v11i3.8544.
- Wang YF, Hsu YF, Fang KT, Kuo LT. Gamification in medical education: identifying and prioritizing key elements through Delphi method. Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2302231. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2302231. PubMed PMID: 38194415; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10778414.
- Karimian Z, Farrokhi MR, Moghadami M, Zarifsanaiey N, Mehrabi M, Khojasteh L, Salehi N. Medical education and COVID-19 pandemic: a crisis management model towards an evolutionary pathway. Educ Inf Technol (Dordr). 2022;27(3):3299-3320. doi: 10.1007/s10639-021-10697-8. PubMed PMID: 34566468; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8450917.
- Karimian Z, Salehi N, Moro C. Intersecting Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence in Medical and Health Sciences Education: A Perspective. Interdiscip J Virtual Learn Med Sci. 2025;16(1):1-7. doi: 10.30476/ijvlms.2025.106124.1331.
|