Use of virtual games for interactive learning in a pharmacy curriculum.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate student pharmacists' attitudes and satisfaction toward playing educational virtual games in the classroom.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Virtual games were played in the classroom setting. First year student pharmacists participated in two Mimycx quests in the Healthcare Communication and the Psychiatry/Neurology courses. Students were randomly assigned into teams and worked together to complete the assigned quest games. Completion of the pre- and post-quest questionnaires via Qualtrics was voluntary.

FINDINGS: A total of 79 student pharmacists played the Mimycx quests. Only 66 students completed both pre- and post-quest questionnaires. Students indicated their familiarity with game concepts related to the virtual environment and avatars used in the study. The change in their attitudes and satisfaction about the Mimycx virtual learning experience was significant between the two learning time points.

SUMMARY: The use of virtual gaming technology could enhance student pharmacists' learning and engagement in the classroom. Students benefitted from increased familiarity with virtual, educational gaming concepts in their experiences with Mimycx, although no statistically significant differences were found regarding their attitudes toward communication and teamwork.