Gamification on Instagram: Nursing students' degree of satisfaction with and perception of learning in an educational game

BACKGROUNDGamification has been shown to lead to greater motivation and participation among students. Currently, many teachers use social networks to share supplementary course materials and student work, but they have not incorporated gamified educational activities into social networking sites. OBJECTIVETo determine nursing students' satisfaction with an Instagram-based educational game and their perceptions of its effects on their learning. DESIGNWe conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study. PARTICIPANTSFirst-year nursing students in the subject "Dietetics and Nutrition". RESULTSOf the total sample, 71.7 % agreed that gamification had helped them assimilate the content. Between 66 % and 70 % agreed that the experience had motivated them to keep up with the subject and learn more about the topic, that it had helped them to better understand certain concepts of the subject, that they would recommend the experience to other students, and that they enjoyed the experience of playing a game while learning. 71.7 % of them were in favour of increased use of gamification in other subjects. CONCLUSIONSThe use of an Instagram-based educational game as a complement to in-class teaching was useful, enjoyable, and motivating for the acquisition of new knowledge.