The influence of gamification on the teaching assessment of human anatomy

Anatomy teaching in medical schools has experienced a reduction in teaching hours in recent decades, which has led to the implementation of innovative methodologies, such as gamification and serious games, to improve student learning and motivation. In this study we evaluated the impact of these tools on the final grades of students enrolled in human anatomy I: Locomotor system for four consecutive academic years (2020-2024). Two groups were compared: one with traditional methodology and another that integrated gamification activities, and in which the content, teaching staff and assessment criteria remained unchanged. Students who participated in gamified teaching obtained significantly (p<0.005) better grades than the control group in the four teaching courses studied. However, no significant differences were observed between sexes or between the different academic years. Gamification in higher education, in addition to motivating and energising classes, is an effective and versatile tool for optimising academic performance in the health sciences.