Use of Gamification as an Active Teaching and Learning Methodology in Undergraduate Dental Education in Oral Radiology.
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES Active learning methodologies have been increasingly adopted in dental education to promote student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Gamification has emerged as a promising strategy; however, evidence regarding its effectiveness in oral radiology education remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified instructional activity, used in combination with traditional teaching, in undergraduate oral radiology courses. METHODS This mixed-methods, single-group pre-/post quasi-experimental study was conducted with 68 undergraduate dental students enrolled in Oral Radiology I and II at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais. In addition, a historical control group of 64 students from the previous academic year, who received only conventional lecture-based instruction, was included for comparison. Students completed an assessment following traditional lecture-based instruction and a second assessment after participation in a gamified activity (Power Radio). Data followed a non-normal distribution; therefore, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for paired comparisons within the current cohort, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between the current cohort and the historical control. Student perceptions of the gamified activity were collected through qualitative feedback. RESULTS Mean assessment scores increased significantly after the gamified intervention in both Oral Radiology I (from 5.6 to 8.6) and Oral Radiology II (from 4.8 to 8.1) (p < 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were observed between male and female students. Most participants (96.1%) reported that the gamified activity was an effective didactic resource and described increased motivation, engagement, and perceived learning benefits. CONCLUSIONS Gamification, when used as a complementary strategy alongside traditional instruction, was associated with improved academic performance and positive student perceptions in undergraduate oral radiology courses. These findings support the integration of structured gamified activities as a potentially beneficial approach to enhance engagement and reinforce learning in dental education.