BactoBattle: a game-based learning companion for medical bacteriology

A card game called BactoBattle has been developed to help medical students who have just started learning medical bacteriology to improve their learning efficacy and satisfaction, especially on the topic of antimicrobial resistance. Copies of the game were placed in the students’ study room (approximately 1 set per 12 students) and made available to the students throughout the study period so that they could choose to play the game during their free time if desired. After the study period had ended, the students were asked to complete a questionnaire and a post-test. In total, 33 students completed the questionnaire, and were split into 2 groups: the player group, comprising 12 (36.4 %) students who had played the game, and the non-player group. The player group perceived that they could memorize more knowledge compared to the non-player group and indeed recorded higher post-test scores than the non-player group (10.4 vs 8.3 out of 15 points, P=0.031). However, there was no difference in learning motivation (P=0.441) or enjoyment (P=0.562) between the two groups. A majority of the players said they would continue playing the game after the study period and would recommend the game to other students. In short, the BactoBattle game can be a useful tool to improve the learning efficacy of students, but its effect on learning satisfaction remains unclear.