Learning through play: Educators and students reflect on a gamified assessment

INTRODUCTION: Gamification in higher education, particularly in the health professions, is rapidly gaining interest. Limited literature, however, prevails over the experiences of educators and students on the development of and participation in gamified assessments. The current paper presents an overview of a newly integrated gamified assessment in an undergraduate medical imaging and therapeutic sciences curriculum and its potential to serve as an assessment tool. METHOD: Following ethical approval, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle was utilised among two South African educators and two students from a single research site to reflect on a newly integrated gamified assessment. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle follows a six-phase approach to guide original thought. The six phases included a description of their experience, feelings, an evaluation, an analysis to make sense of the experience by consulting relevant literature, a conclusion, and the development of an action plan to implement potential improvements going forward. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Similar perspectives were shared between the two educators and two students, reiterating the value of gamification in higher education. Recommendations to enhance the facilitation of similar assessments include, but are not limited to: a physical space that is conducive to playing tangible games, drawing on the working principles of existing games, and a collaborative approach to develop a peer evaluation marking rubric. CONCLUSION: The collaborative and reflective approach between the two educators and two students harnessed collective wisdom on the impact of gamification in higher education. Gamified assessments have the potential to improve student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. Insight gained into the newly integrated gamified assessment could be used and transferred to curricular offerings in other health professions and beyond.