The Cell Game: An Auxiliary Tool for Cell Biology Learning

Motivation plays a central role in students’ lives, as it is closely linked to engagement in academic tasks. Accordingly, ludic and student-centered approaches, such as didactic games, may represent effective strategies for achieving better results in education. We developed and evaluated an educational board game, “The Cell Game,” which aimed to improve the learning of complex concepts and applications of cell biology. The game content focuses on three cellular metabolic pathways: photosynthesis, fermentation/cellular respiration, and biosynthetic/secretory pathways. The game was tested with 585 high school students from three public schools in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Effectiveness was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design, and statistical analysis was performed using normalized Hake’s gain. The game elements including question cards, board design, and gameplay dynamics provide considerable versatility as an auxiliary tool to be used in class. When analyzed individually, one question exhibited a high normalized gain (g ≥ 0.70), four questions demonstrated a moderate gain (0.30 ≤ g < 0.70), and five questions showed a low gain (g < 0.30). Moreover, the acceptance survey reported positive feedback, particularly regarding enjoyment and gameplay dynamics. Overall, The Cell Game shows great potential as a complementary tool in high school biology classes.