Effectiveness of serious games and impact of design elements on engagement and educational outcomes in healthcare professionals and students : a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Article [Version of Record]
Abstract(s)
Introduction Serious games (SGs) are interactive and
entertaining digital software with an educational purpose.
They engage the learner by proposing challenges and
through various design elements (DEs; eg, points,
difficulty adaptation, story). Recent reviews suggest the
effectiveness of SGs in healthcare professionals’ and
students’ education is mixed. This could be explained by
the variability in their DEs, which has been shown to be
highly variable across studies. The aim of this systematic
review is to identify, appraise and synthesise the best
available evidence regarding the effectiveness of SGs
and the impact of DEs on engagement and educational
outcomes of healthcare professionals and students.
Methods and analysis A systematic search of the literature
will be conducted using a combination of medical subject
headings terms and keywords in Cumulative Index of Nursing
and Allied Health, Embase, Education Resources Information
Center, PsycInFO, PubMed and Web of Science. Studies
assessing SGs on engagement and educational outcomes
will be included. Two independent reviewers will conduct
the screening as well as the data extraction process. The
risk of bias of included studies will also be assessed by two
reviewers using the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care
criteria. Data regarding DEs in SGs will first be synthesised
qualitatively. A meta-analysis will then be performed, if the
data allow it. Finally, the quality of the evidence regarding the
effectiveness of SGs on each outcome will be assessed using
the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development
and Evaluation approach.
Ethics and dissemination As this systematic review only
uses already collected data, no Institutional Review Board
approval is required. Its results will be submitted in a peerreviewed journal by the end of 2018.