Educational Gaming for Pharmacy Students - Design and Evaluation of a Diabetes-themed Escape Room
Author/Creator
Eukel, Heidi N.
Frenzel, Jeanne Elizabeth
Cernusca, Dan
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Abstract
Objective. To design an educational game that will increase third-year professional pharmacy students’ knowledge of diabetes mellitus disease management and to evaluate their perceived value of the
game. Methods. Faculty members created an innovative educational game, the diabetes escape room. An
authentic escape room gaming environment was established through the use of a locked room, an
escape time limit, and game rules within which student teams completed complex puzzles focused on
diabetes disease management. To evaluate the impact, students completed a pre-test and post-test to
measure the knowledge they’ve gained and a perception survey to identify moderating factors that
could help instructors improve the game’s effectiveness and utility. Results. Students showed statistically significant increases in knowledge after completion of the game.
A one-sample t-test indicated that students’ mean perception was statistically significantly higher than
the mean value of the evaluation scale. This statically significant result proved that this gaming act
offers a potential instructional benefit beyond its novelty. Conclusion. The diabetes escape room proved to be a valuable educational game that increased
students’ knowledge of diabetes mellitus disease management and showed a positive perceived overall
value by student participants.