Learning veterinary anatomy playing cards

Abstract

Gamification is a dynamic tool for educational transformation useful to encourage student interest and enhance learning. Here we present a study conducted to investigate the effectiveness of an educational card game developed by us in veterinary anatomy practicals to reinforce knowledge acquisition in veterinary students. A total of 4 sets of cards were designed, each one with different anatomical topics (structure identification, articulation and positioning, clinical anatomy and comparative anatomy); students were arranged in small groups (7-10 students per group) and played the game at the end of each anatomy practical session discussing the corresponding questions, randomly chosen, as a team. This activity was highly valued by students, most of whom (over 80%), expressed that the game was enjoyable, challenging, helpful to improve their knowledge and understanding in clinical anatomy, and effective for anatomy exam preparation. Thus, the use of educational games in practical sessions seems to improve student engagement in the learning process individually and as a team.

Application of Blended Learning to Veterinary Gross Anatomy Practical Sessions: Students’ Perceptions of Their Learning Experience and Academic Outcomes

“…Different methods can make up a BL experience in anatomy. In our study, the FC is the central element, which is closely linked to students' cooperative work throughout the sessions and to a gamification element consisting of a card game designed to self-assess and reinforce knowledge [20]. Our results are in line with those of other authors who have reported the beneficial effects of BL in human anatomy teaching and show that active learning strategies are appreciated by students.…”

“…Basically, the game consisted of answering questions related to the day's practical. These questions were organised in 4 groups and appeared on a series of previously prepared cards [20].…”

“…The development of the card game that ends each practical session in our model was also carried out in a collaborative environment [20] in a manner wherein everyone learns, regardless of the outcome of the game. In this sense, positive student outcomes have been reported in different gamification experiences in anatomy and related disciplines [58,59], reinforcing the positive effects of cooperative learning.…”

“…In relation to collaborative learning, several team learning approaches have been proposed for teaching anatomy [18], and different types of gamification experiences have also been described [19]. In our own experience, the development of a simple card game as a means to consolidate content has been well received by students, who valued the game as enjoyable, challenging, useful for improving their knowledge and understanding of clinical anatomy, and effective for anatomy exam preparation [20].…”