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A trading‐card game teaching about host defence
Author(s) -
Steinman Richard A,
Blastos Mary T
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01384.x
Subject(s) - test (biology) , parry , host (biology) , serious game , psychology , medical school , infectious disease (medical specialty) , medical education , mathematics education , computer science , disease , medicine , multimedia , biology , pathology , artificial intelligence , paleontology , ecology
Objectives To heighten the understanding of host–disease interactions by adolescents and young adults, using a trading card game format. Design A trading card game was developed in which paired students attack one another with pathogens or parry those attacks with appropriate defences. Twenty‐five infectious pathogens or cancers, 30 defence agents and 6 health status modifying conditions were included. Setting A middle school, upper school and medical school in the United States. Subjects 8th grade, 10th grade and first year medical students. Results The game was tested using pre‐test/post‐test evaluations in 8th graders, 10th graders and medical students. Factual information, pathogen‐organ specificity, and general concepts were tested. There was a significant increase in test scores, from 39% to 58% correct in the 8th graders ( P < 0·0001), from 47% to 59% among 10th graders ( P = 0·0007), and from 80% to 88% ( P = 0·049) among the medical students. Responses to control questions unrelated to the game did not improve. Conclusion An interactive trading card format is a useful method for conveying information about host defence.