Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract 577 views
“Microbiology Scramble” is an interactive game for engaging teaching
Zubeyde Bayram-Weston 
,
Geertje Van Keulen
,
Geertje Van Keulen
SALT24, Swansea, 11th July 2024.
Swansea University Authors:
Zubeyde Bayram-Weston , Geertje Van Keulen
Abstract
The use of games for effective science education has grown, providing intense involvement and concentration unmatched by other methods. Games foster increased interest and motivation, generating positive attitudes toward the subject. The "Microbiology Scramble" tabletop game, a modified ve...
| Published in: | SALT24, Swansea, 11th July 2024. |
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| Published: |
2024
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68501 |
| Abstract: |
The use of games for effective science education has grown, providing intense involvement and concentration unmatched by other methods. Games foster increased interest and motivation, generating positive attitudes toward the subject. The "Microbiology Scramble" tabletop game, a modified version of Scrabble, was developed to make microbiology learning fun, interactive, and accessible to diverse audiences. The game contained 50-70 large wooden tiles with individual letters, which was tested at the 2019 and 2023 Swansea Science Festival (SSF). Participants were invited to spelling as many microbiology words as they could without a board. Players were also supplied with a ‘key terms glossary’ to help them come up with relevant words, although they were also free to come up with their own words such as bacteria, influenza, HIV etc, fostering an enjoyable and interactive experience. The game, lasting 15-20 minutes, was played individually or in groups racing to form the most microbiological terms before running out of tiles. Feedback from participants, represented as a word cloud, indicated overwhelmingly positive experiences. In 2019, all participants rated the game as 'Excellent' (n=13), and in 2023, most rated it 'Excellent' (n=17), with three scoring it as 'Good' (n=3). This evidence suggests that games like "Microbiology Scramble" serve as effective tools for teaching microbiology to diverse audiences, promoting engagement, teamwork, and enhanced learning. Future efforts focus on integrating the game into formative assessments for university science students, particularly for challenging or less engaging topics, to further improve learning and academic performance. |
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| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |