Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Medical virology requires students to master complex concepts in a limited timeframe, yet traditional lectures often struggle to sustain engagement and ensure long-term retention. Serious games have emerged as promising tools to promote active learning. Building on the success of BacteriaGame, ViroGame was developed to reinforce virology knowledge through gamification. This study evaluated its effectiveness in enhancing student engagement, knowledge mobilization, and supervisor-perceived feasibility for curricular integration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 318 learners participated in ViroGame sessions during the 2023-2024 academic year. Of these, 266 students/residents completed a structured questionnaire assessing with likert scale [1-5] gameplay fluidity, knowledge consolidation, perceived difficulty and potential integration with BacteriaGame. Nine supervisors also provided evaluations on rule clarity, session management and educational value. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests and Chi-squared tests, with qualitative feedback examined thematically. RESULTS: Residents rated gameplay fluidity significantly higher than students (4.4/5 vs. 4.1/5; p = 0.039). Both groups reported high knowledge mobilization scores (students 4.5/5; residents 4.3/5; p = 0.378). Nearly half perceived some content as exceeding expected knowledge, despite alignment with national standards (47.4% vs. 41.8%; p = 0.482). A greater proportion of students than residents reported difficulties with virological concepts (78.9% vs. 60.3%; p = 0.021), particularly regarding diagnostic methods and viral structures. Supervisors rated the game positively, endorsing its use primarily as a revision tool. DISCUSSION: ViroGame is a well-received, effective and engaging tool for teaching medical virology. It promotes active learning, collaboration and knowledge retention while addressing the inherent complexity of virology. Further controlled studies are planned to evaluate its long-term impact on learning outcomes and exam performance.
Source: BMC Medical Education
Institutions: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, CEA Paris-Saclay - Etablissement de Fontenay-aux-roses, Infectious Disease Models and Innovative Therapies, Hôpital Paul-Brousse, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Infection, Anti-microbiens, Modélisation, Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Hôpital Cochin, Institut Cochin, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail, Hôpital Pontchaillou, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Service de Santé des Armées
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
Funder: Université Paris-Saclay
OpenAlex ID: W4415459366