Professor The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas, United States
Introduction:: Both gamification and game-based learning can help engage learners, spark motivation, and reduce stress. Gamification in education refers to integrating game features into non-game activities to support learning outcomes. Some examples of gamification are inclusion of a progress bar, badges, or a leaderboard. Game-based learning refers to the integration of a game into the educational environment such that learning results from playing the game.
Materials and Methods:: Our goal was to create a card game to help undergraduates early in the biomedical engineering (BME) program become familiar with the BME faculty. To minimize the time required to learn to play, we designed the game to be similar to Go Fish, a classic card game that many people have experience playing (Figure 1). Based on feedback from the department’s undergraduate advisors, the game design emphasized learning the technical areas to which each faculty member is affiliated, the locations of the faculty offices (e.g., 4th floor), and the faculty responsible for oversight of the undergraduate experience.
Results, Conclusions, and Discussions:: Initial play tests of the game were conducted by undergraduate students participating in a peer mentoring program. Students reported that they appreciated that the game helped them associate the names and faces of the faculty. Students expressed an interest in having other game play variations, such as a version of the game Guess Who. We observed that the game was an effective “ice breaker” that sparked discussions around topics such as which faculty member teaches which classes and what undergraduate research experiences are possible in the different labs.
