Use of Digital Games for Educational Purposes Among Medical and Paramedical Sciences Students, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the use of digital games for educational purposes among medical and paramedical sciences students at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Northeast of Iran). This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2018 to January 2019. The research population was all students of the school of medicine and school of paramedical sciences at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (n = 496). The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on a literature review. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by its content validity, and the reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated based on the test-retest method (r = 0.82). In this examination of medical and paramedical sciences students’ attitudes and perspectives, some novel preliminary insights into the applications, advantages, disadvantages, and features of digital games in education emerge. Overall, the findings showed that the use of interactive digital games can increase students’ motivation for learning and make the learning process more attractive for students. This study was approved by the ethical committee of MUMS (approval number IR.MUMS.REC.1397.151).