Authors

  1. Quinn, Margaret DNP, CPNP, CNE

Article Content

The addition of games in education as a teaching innovation supports a blend of reinforcing summative and formative assessments, while adding a bit of competition and entertainment to the classroom. Student engagement software has taken on many forms, which are commonly used interactive classroom response systems, and common translations of television game shows such as Jeopardy can also support content reviews. Board games add nostalgia, as classics span all age and demographics. In the tradition of the board game Monopoly (Hasbro, Inc), a review of content for a nurse practitioner specialty inclusive of physical assessment, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment plans was designed. Supplemental Digital Content Photo 1 (available at: http://links.lww.com/NE/B199) shows the board game, and Supplemental Digital Content Photo 2 (available at: http://links.lww.com/NE/B200) shows students playing the game. The process encouraged a focused discussion as a structured review with purposeful leading concepts for a comprehensive final examination review. Creative concepts and diagnosis were assigned to street names (eg, Blood Drive, Head Way, See U Drive), and popular game rules were followed. To buy a "primary care office" (in lieu of a house), the student had to answer the question on the card related to the diagnosis relative to the property name. After the student went around the board once, they had the opportunity to purchase a "hospital" (in lieu of a hotel). Title deed cards were developed for each property and had a question relative to the course content. When the game was over, the goals of a positive gaming experience and a comprehensive semester review were achieved, with a new flair and a request for new questions for alternate semesters and board review planning.