In this research, play was used to address negative perceptions about medical microbiology
in the MBChB course. The Infections module is part of the second academic year in the
MBChB curriculum at the University of the Free State (UFS), Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Students' negative perception of medical microbiology and infectious diseases was
identified by the researcher, who had been a lecturer in the module for many years. In an
attempt to address students' complaints and dissatisfaction regarding the huge volume of
work dealt with in the module, exposure to new terminology, and the complicated
classification and nomenclature of microorganisms, the researcher resorted to investigating
enjoyable forms of learning as a potential solution.
Play is regarded by developmental and educational psychologists as an inherent part of
human nature, which is employed in various settings and circumstances in the process of
acquiring knowledge, information and skills necessary for social adaptation, integration
and survival. The benefits of play are not limited to childhood â play can be enjoyed by
individuals of any age, throughout their lives. Educational games are recognised as
meaningful and effective teaching and learning instruments â also in higher education and
medical training. Incorporating a fun component and positive affect into the learning
process is known to promote intrinsic motivation, enhance quality of learning, and lead to
better retention of knowledge.
The researcher developed a quiz-style board game, Med Micro Fun With Facts (MMFWF),
based on the principles of Trivial Pursuitâ¢. MMFWF can be used as a supplementary
group work activity to expose students to the factual content of the vast discipline of
microbiology in a non-threatening, healthy competitive environment. The game contains
700 colour-coded questions and answers divided into seven corresponding colour-coded
categories, each containing 100 questions and answers. Six categories cover
microbiological topics (bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, and the diagnosis
and treatment of infectious diseases), while a category on general medicine was included to
prevent the potential risk of feeling overwhelmed or becoming bored by the numerous
medical microbiology facts. The MMFWF board game was introduced to medical students shortly after they had
successfully completed the Infections module. The game was evaluated by students by
means of a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire and semi-structured focus group
interviews, and by academic members of staff by means of direct observation of the play
process and nominal group interviews. The overall feedback showed that both students and
staff had a highly positive experience of MMFWF, and regarded it as a meaningful
approach to mastering the factual content of medical microbiology. The students indicated
that playing the game had a positive influence on their perception of and attitude towards
the subject.
The MMFWF board game was also converted into a multiple-choice web-based
application (e-MMFWF), which was implemented as a compulsory directed learning
activity in the Infections module. The students played e-MMFWF as part of their
preparation for the forthcoming second semester test. The class average increased by 22%
from Test I to Test II, and many students who were facing the possibility of failing an
academic year due to poor performance in the Infections module were able to successfully
complete their studies at their expected level of accomplishment. Eighty-five percent of the
students who played e-MMFWF in preparation for semester Test II indicated their
conviction that the directed learning activity contributed positively to the improvement in
their test marks.
The positive feedback on the MMFWF board game as a learning tool in medical
microbiology, and students' improved marks after playing e-MMFWF, show that MMFWF
can be used with good results as a supplementary learning modality in the Infections
module of the undergraduate medical training programme.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-10042011-102224 |
| Date | 04 October 2011 |
| Creators | Struwig, Magdalena Catharina |
| Contributors | Prof G Joubert, Prof AA Beylefeld |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-10042011-102224/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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