Effectiveness of Educational Games as Teaching Tool on Learning Outcome of Critical Care Drugs and Investigations among Nursing Students at Selected College, Chennai

Abstract

Background: The traditional method used in teaching has lowest retention rate, the use of game as part of an instructions method may enhance retention and reinforce learning by creating a dynamic educational environment. Objective: 1. To assess the learning outcome scores on critical care drugs and investigations among control and experimental group of nursing students. 2. To determine the effectiveness of educational games as teaching tool by comparing the pretest and posttest scores of learning outcome on critical care drugs and investigations among control and experimental group of nursing students. Methodology: This study was conducted by using a true experimental research design among 88 nursing students (44 in control group and 44 in experimental group), who were selected by using purposive sampling technique. After obtaining the setting permission, Data was collected by self administration method using Google forms through Whats App and E mails. The data regarding background variables was obtained along with the pretest assessment of learning outcome on critical care drugs and investigations through Google forms. Then post test was conducted for the control group of nursing students on day 3. On day 4, educational games was implemented for the experimental group of nursing students and On day 5 post test was conducted for the experimental group of nursing students. The collected data was tabulated and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In control group there was a significant difference in mean learning outcome scores on critical care drugs and investigations between pre-test (M = 7.61/25 & SD = 2.29) and post-test (M = 10.86/25 and SD=4.75) with ‘t’ value of 4.73 at p<0.001. Whereas in experimental group also there was higher significant difference in mean learning outcome scores on critical care drugs and investigations between pretest (M = 7.7/25 and SD = 2.63) and post-test (M = 18.97/25 and SD = 2.17) with ‘t’ value of 25.26 at p< 0.001. Conclusion: Study findings showed that the educational games was found to be effective in increasing the learning outcome of nursing students.