PURPOSE: The goal of this innovation was to evaluate the impact of a
gamified learning experience called VizWiz on medical students’ engagement
and understanding of data visualization.
Data visualization is a critical skill for modern physician scientists, yet
it is rarely taught explicitly in medical education. Medical students are
expected to interpret and present data effectively, but traditional curricula
often expose students to this skill passively, rather than through active or
application-based learning. We hypothesized that gamified learning may offer
a motivating and low-stakes environment for skill development.
METHODS: Prior to the activity, participants were provided with prework
describing best practices in data visualization. During the session,
participants played VizWiz, a judge-respondent style game modeled after
'Apples to Apples.' In each round, medical students received a clinical
prompt and drew their proposed data visualization (e.g., line graph, bar
chart, pie chart). A rotating judge then selected the most effective
submission and explained their reasoning. The moderator (a faculty member)
facilitated the discussion to deepen understanding and application of best
practices.
RESULTS: A post-session anonymous survey was distributed to pilot
participants (N=5). In terms of experience and engagement, all participants
noted a high level of enjoyment and engagement for the gamified learning
session. Participants all reported high agreement with the following
statements: “I learned something new from this session”, “the game help
solidify key content more effectively than passive learning”, and “I can
apply what I learned in future research, clinical, or classroom settings.”
CONCLUSION: VizWiz was well-received and easy to implement. Limitations include
a small initial cohort and lack of long-term outcome measures. The game
requires minimal resources, is adaptable to many content areas, and is
well-suited for small-group instruction. As such, we propose that VizWiz can
be applied by other educators to support data literacy, teamwork, or clinical
reasoning skills.