Game based learning in medical education

Game-based learning is increasingly being used in medical and health professions education to transform traditional teaching into more active, collaborative and engaging learning experiences. Educational escape rooms, puzzle-based activities, simulated clinical scenarios and other serious games can encourage students to apply knowledge, solve problems, communicate with peers and develop clinical reasoning in ways that are difficult to achieve through conventional teaching alone. Our team has developed and implemented a range of game-based learning activities, including educational escape rooms and simulated ward rounds, which have now been used across eight countries in a variety of educational settings. This growing international programme of research provides opportunities to investigate not only whether educational games work, but also how they should be designed, evaluated and adapted for different learners and contexts. Students joining this project may explore areas such as the design and development of new educational games; evaluation of student engagement, learning, knowledge retention and clinical reasoning; quantitative evaluation of engagement (e.g., eye tracking), qualitative exploration of student and educator experiences; comparison of different game formats and delivery modes; and the factors that influence successful implementation of game-based learning across institutions and countries. A particular focus of our current work is inclusive game design. Competition, teamwork, time pressure, accessibility, cultural background, confidence and prior experience may affect how students participate in games. We are therefore interested in understanding who benefits from game-based learning, who may feel excluded or disadvantaged, and how these activities can be redesigned to support diverse learners and foster a stronger sense of belonging. Depending on the student's interests, projects may involve quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods research, educational design, international collaborations, or the development and testing of digital and physical learning resources. There is also scope to explore emerging technologies and scalable approaches that allow educators to create and adapt game-based learning activities across different medical and health professions curricula. Ultimately, this programme aims to move beyond simply asking whether students enjoy games. We want to understand the principles that make game-based learning educationally effective, inclusive, scalable and transferable, and use this evidence to develop better learning experiences for students across diverse educational settings.