Introduction

The FIU HWCOM Graduate Certificate Program (GCP) is a post-baccalaureate program exposing pre-medical students to courses similar to first-year medical school. One of those courses is Biochemistry, a core component of medical education that often presents challenges. Educators have explored strategies to enhance engagement and student performance. Research shows that rote memorization is ineffective for long-term retention. Instead, linking concepts to meaningful contexts facilitates learning. Studies suggest that gamifying challenging concepts in biochemistry, biology, and chemistry results in improved student satisfaction and performance.

We hypothesized that gamification would improve outcomes for social and hands-on learners, enhancing learning experiences for all students. Integrating educational games into the curriculum offers an innovative learning alternative, simplifying complex material compared to didactic instruction. We evaluated the impact of gamification on biomedical graduate students, offering new insights into its effectiveness.
 

Topic Importance

Didactic biochemistry instruction often fails to engage alternative learners, potentially limiting success for some students. Our study with GCP students (n=44) demonstrated that gamification benefits learners across the performance spectrum. We developed alternative content delivery including competition, teamwork, lateral learning, and visual concept delivery. Gamification sessions were integrated with course content and mapped to Session Learning Objectives (SLOs) tested on block examinations. Pre-post quiz analysis revealed significant improvements. Game 1 showed strong effects (p<0.001, mean improvement 1.83 points). While high-performing students (HPS) and low-performing students (LPS) both improved in Game 1, Game 2 revealed that LPS gained most significantly. Students struggling with didactic content delivery benefited most from gamification, suggesting these methods increase inclusivity by accommodating different learning preferences and providing pathways to success for diverse learners. Analysis of the follow-up survey showed students retained positive memories of game-based learning one year later.
 

Roundtable Rationale

While our research demonstrates measurable success of specific innovative strategies, we recognize that no single approach works universally. This session will share our experiences implementing gamification, collaborative learning, and visual concept delivery while inviting participants to contribute their strategies for supporting diverse learners and increasing long-term retention and engagement. Together, we can begin to develop a comprehensive toolkit of engaging pedagogies that programs can adapt to their contexts.
 

Challenges Addressed

This round table will address several critical obstacles facing educational innovation. First, we'll address the challenge of developing and integrating innovative teaching approaches within traditional curriculum structures. Second, we'll examine resource barriers, including insufficient faculty preparation in diverse teaching methods. Third, we will discuss the challenges of measuring effectiveness beyond satisfaction. Finally, we'll focus on the sustainability challenge - how to maintain these innovations long-term rather than seeing them fade as temporary experiments. 
 

Relevance to ASPBP

This round table directly aligns with ASPBP's mission to "...develop the best practices...to achieve inclusivity and equity and expand...education with a specific emphasis on STEMM." We anticipate contributing to broader conversations about educational equity and expanding access for students transitioning to health professions.