A game approach to interactive student-centered learning in microbiology for undergraduate medical students
| dc.contributor.advisor | Beylefeld, Adriana A. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Joubert, Georgina | |
| dc.contributor.author | Struwig, Magdalena Catharina | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-11-20T13:40:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-11-20T13:40:28Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2010-11 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010-11 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2010-11 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (Ph.D.(Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2010 | |
| dc.description.abstract | 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 In this research, play was used to address negative perceptions about medical microbiology in the MBChB course. The Infections module is part of the second academic year in the MBChB curriculum at the University of the Free State (UFS), Bloemfontein, South Africa. Students' negative perception of medical microbiology and infectious diseases was identified by the researcher, who had been a lecturer in the module for many years. In an attempt to address students' complaints and dissatisfaction regarding the huge volume of work dealt with in the module, exposure to new terminology, and the complicated classification and nomenclature of microorganisms, the researcher resorted to investigating enjoyable forms of learning as a potential solution. Play is regarded by developmental and educational psychologists as an inherent part of human nature, which is employed in various settings and circumstances in the process of acquiring knowledge, information and skills necessary for social adaptation, integration and survival. The benefits of play are not limited to childhood – play can be enjoyed by individuals of any age, throughout their lives. Educational games are recognised as meaningful and effective teaching and learning instruments – also in higher education and medical training. Incorporating a fun component and positive affect into the learning process is known to promote intrinsic motivation, enhance quality of learning, and lead to better retention of knowledge. The researcher developed a quiz-style board game, Med Micro Fun With Facts (MMFWF), based on the principles of Trivial Pursuit™. MMFWF can be used as a supplementary group work activity to expose students to the factual content of the vast discipline of microbiology in a non-threatening, healthy competitive environment. The game contains 700 colour-coded questions and answers divided into seven corresponding colour-coded categories, each containing 100 questions and answers. Six categories cover microbiological topics (bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, and the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases), while a category on general medicine was included to prevent the potential risk of feeling overwhelmed or becoming bored by the numerous medical microbiology facts. The MMFWF board game was introduced to medical students shortly after they had successfully completed the Infections module. The game was evaluated by students by means of a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire and semi-structured focus group interviews, and by academic members of staff by means of direct observation of the play process and nominal group interviews. The overall feedback showed that both students and staff had a highly positive experience of MMFWF, and regarded it as a meaningful approach to mastering the factual content of medical microbiology. The students indicated that playing the game had a positive influence on their perception of and attitude towards the subject. The MMFWF board game was also converted into a multiple-choice web-based application (e-MMFWF), which was implemented as a compulsory directed learning activity in the Infections module. The students played e-MMFWF as part of their preparation for the forthcoming second semester test. The class average increased by 22% from Test I to Test II, and many students who were facing the possibility of failing an academic year due to poor performance in the Infections module were able to successfully complete their studies at their expected level of accomplishment. Eighty-five percent of the students who played e-MMFWF in preparation for semester Test II indicated their conviction that the directed learning activity contributed positively to the improvement in their test marks. The positive feedback on the MMFWF board game as a learning tool in medical microbiology, and students' improved marks after playing e-MMFWF, show that MMFWF can be used with good results as a supplementary learning modality in the Infections module of the undergraduate medical training programme. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 In hierdie studie is spel aangewend om negatiewe persepsies oor mediese mikrobiologie in MBChB-studies aan te spreek. Die Infeksies-module is deel van die tweede akademiese jaar in die MBChB-kurrikulum aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat in Bloemfontein, Suid-Afrika. Die navorser, wat vir baie jare 'n dosent in die module was, het 'n negatiewe persepsie van mediese mikrobiologie en infektiewe siektes onder studente geïdentifiseer. In 'n poging om hul klagtes en ontevredenheid oor die groot volume werk wat in die module behandel word, die blootstelling aan nuwe terminologie, en die komplekse klassifikasie en nomenklatuur van mikroörganismes aan te spreek, het die navorser haar tot die ondersoek van genotvolle leervorme as 'n potensiële oplossing gewend. Spel word deur ontwikkelings- en opvoedkundige sielkundiges as 'n inherente deel van die menslike natuur beskou, en word in verskeie omgewings en omstandighede gebruik in die verkryging van kennis, inligting en sosiale aanpassings-, integrasie- en oorlewingsvaardighede. Die voordele van spel is nie tot die kinderjare beperk nie – individue van enige ouderdom kan spel dwarsdeur hul lewens geniet. Opvoedkundige speletjies word erken as betekenisvolle en doeltreffende onderrig- en leerinstrumente – ook in hoër onderwys en mediese opleiding. Dit is 'n bekende feit dat die insluiting van 'n pretkomponent en positiewe affek in die leerproses intrinsieke motivering, beter leerkwaliteit en die retensie van kennis bevorder. Die navorser het 'n vasvra-tipe bordspel, Med Micro Fun With Facts (MMFWF), wat op die beginsels van Trivial Pursuit™ gebaseer is, ontwikkel. MMFWF kan as 'n aanvullende groepwerkaktiwiteit gebruik word om studente in 'n nie-bedreigende, gesonde kompeterende omgewing aan die feitelike inhoud van die omvangryke dissipline van mikrobiologie bloot te stel. Die speletjie bevat 700 kleur-gekodeerde vrae en antwoorde, wat in sewe ooreenstemmende kleur-gekodeerde kategorieë, elk met 100 vrae en antwoorde, ingedeel is. Ses kategorieë dek mikrobiologie-onderwerpe (bakteriologie, virologie, mikologie, parasitologie, die diagnose en behandeling van infektiewe), terwyl 'n kategorie oor algemene geneeskunde ingesluit is om te verhoed dat studente deur die talle mediese mikrobiologie feite oorweldig voel, of verveeld raak. Die MMFWF-bordspel is aan mediese studente bekendgestel kort nadat hulle die Infeksies-module suksesvol afgelê het. Die studente het die speletjie met behulp van 'n self-toegepaste, anonieme vraelys en semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroep-onderhoude geëvalueer, terwyl akademiese personeel dit met behulp van direkte waarneming van die speelproses en nominale groeponderhoude geëvalueer het. Die geheelindruk wat verkry is uit die terugvoer van die studente sowel as die personeel, is dat MMFWF vir hulle 'n baie positiewe belewenis was, en dat hulle dit as 'n betekenisvolle benadering tot die bemeestering van die feitlike inhoud van mediese mikrobiologie beskou. Die studente het aangedui dat die speel van die bordspel 'n positiewe invloed op hulle persepsie van, en gesindheid teenoor die vak gehad het. Die MMFWF-bordspel is ook omgeskakel na 'n veelvuldige-keuse web-gebaseerde applikasie (e-MMFWF), wat as 'n verpligte gerigte leeraktiwiteit in die Infeksies-module aangewend is. Die studente het e-MMFWF as deel van hul voorbereiding vir die tweede semestertoets gespeel. Die klasgemiddeld het met 22% van Toets I na Toets II gestyg, en talle studente wat die moontlikheid in die gesig gestaar het om 'n akademiese jaar as gevolg van swak prestasie in die Infeksies-module te druip, kon hul studies op hul verwagte prestasievlak voltooi. Vyf-en-tagtig persent van die studente wat e-MMFWF ter voorbereiding van Semestertoets II gespeel het, was oortuig dat die gerigte leeraktiwiteit positief tot die verbetering in hulle punte bygedra het. Die positiewe terugvoer oor die MMFWF-bordspel as 'n leerinstrument in mediese mikrobiologie, asook die verbetering in studente se punte nadat hulle e-MMFWF gespeel het, toon dat MMFWF met goeie gevolg as 'n aanvullende leermodaliteit in die Infeksiesmodule van die voorgraadse mediese opleidingsprogram gebruik kan word. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | National Research Foundation (NRF) | en_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | South African Association of Health Educationists (SAAHE) | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1713 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Abstract in other languages 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴 | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Learning instrument | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Innovation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | General skills | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Competition | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Interactive learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Learning environment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Enthusiasm | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Motivation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Educational games | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Play | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Medical education | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Medical microbiology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Infectious diseases | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Medical Microbiology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa -- Bloemfontein | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Undergraduates -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa. -- Bloemfontein | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Educational games | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | University of the Free State -- Undergraduates | en_ZA |
| dc.title | A game approach to interactive student-centered learning in microbiology for undergraduate medical students | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |