APPLICATION OF GAMIFICATION DURING PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE DISCIPLINE "MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY"

Abstract

The idea of implementation of game elements (gamification) into the educational process of higher education institutions is aimed at increasing the motivation of students and involving them deeper in learning and self-education. The use of gamification elements and the game environment in a non-game context involves increasing the effectiveness of education for students, stimulating cooperation between participants in the educational process, developing critical thinking skills, etc. It is worth noting that gamification should be balanced well with other aspects of the discipline. The needs of students, the level of their understanding of the subject should be taken into account while planning lesson. Gamification of the educational process involves the development of interesting and meaningful content, the use of interactive learning techniques and an individual approach to students.

The research presents the results the influence of gamification elements on the educational process during the study of the discipline "Medical Biochemistry". To achieve this goal, interactive instruments have been developed to test the knowledge of students using the Kahoot platform and the Wordwall application. The research has been conducted in the conditions of a real educational process with quantitative and qualitative indicators. The obtained results indicate that the vast majority of students give positive feedback for the gamified form of education. However, a significant part of the participants still prefers the traditional lesson script. We assume that this choice is due to the fact that the applicants have not been used to experience of the new training format and needed more time to feel the benefits. We can state that there are many advantages in the application of gamification elements during the educational process: increased interest, motivation for the learning process and discipline, in particular, activation of the procedure of social adaptation of education seekers, dialogic communication, curiosity, etc.