Several educators have developed educational games to promote the teaching and learning of complex concepts in physiology and other biomedical sciences. However, none of the currently available games specifically addressed the digestion of macromolecules across the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In this study, we describe our new initiative of developing an online educational game (GutDigest) that helps students understand this complex topic. GutDigest has 3 sections (section 1 for carbohydrate, section 2 for lipid, and section 3 for protein digestion) across which 17 immovable e-tokens (representing the enzymes) are placed in the first column of the board on the left side (6 for carbohydrates, 5 for lipids, and 6 for proteins). Likewise, it has 122 movable e-tokens (representing enzyme source, classification, substrate, major site of action, end product of digestion, and means of enterocyte absorption of the corresponding end products) scattered in the repository on the right side (43 for carbohydrates, 36 for lipids, and 43 for proteins). Matching from right to left sides can be done either by dragging or by tapping and dropping. Results of the 3 sections are displayed to the player after each trial, and the e-tokens are reshuffled for the next trials. We recommend the use of this game by tutors to complement the teaching of this complex topic, assess the knowledge of students, and support practical simulation sessions in resource-limited settings. With its formative assessment-like feedback, this game enhances personalized learning for students compared to traditional study methods.
Alagbonsi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.