In one sentence
In a randomized trial with 60 undergraduate health students, adding the MedQuiz digital serious game to regular lectures produced higher immediate post-test scores than lectures alone — with strong usability ratings but no long-term follow-up.
What the researchers did
Kimiafar and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial with 60 undergraduate students in health-related programs. One group received traditional instruction; the other used MedQuiz — a digital serious game for medical terminology — alongside the same lectures. The team compared immediate post-test scores, user satisfaction, and standard usability/playability metrics (including SUS ≈ 90% and MEEGA+ learning ratings).
What they found
- Post-test scores were significantly higher in the MedQuiz + lecture group (P < .001 in this sample).
- User experience predicted performance — students who rated the experience more positively tended to score better.
- Usability and playability ratings were strong; entertainment value was moderate — engaging enough to learn, not primarily a leisure game.
- Long-term retention was not assessed; authors suggest future work with spaced repetition or AI scheduling for lasting gains.
What this means for learners and educators
- Gamified drills can boost short-term terminology learning when layered on top of — not instead of — structured teaching.
- Moderate “fun” with high usability may be enough for terminology, where repetition and feedback matter more than cinematic graphics.
- Treat gains as immediate unless follow-up testing proves otherwise; pair games with retrieval schedules if the goal is exam-ready memory weeks later.
Limitations and what we don't know yet
Sixty students, one terminology domain, immediate post-test only — we cannot claim durable memory or transfer to clinical communication. The control received lectures without an ** equally time-matched non-game activity**, so part of the effect could be extra active practice time. Results may differ for anatomy, pharmacology, or non-health vocabularies. CC-BY-NC-ND licensing limits close reuse of figures, not the summary here.