Does One Size Fit All? Examining Learning Styles and Gamification in Radiographic Pathology Education

Abstract

Traditional teaching methods, such as textbooks and lectures, often lack interactivity and engagement, which can hinder comprehension and knowledge retention. Gamification, an innovative educational approach, integrates game elements to enhance motivation and learning effectiveness. However, its impact on radiographic pathology education remains underexplored. This study evaluates medical imaging students’ perceptions of gamified learning and its effectiveness across different learning styles, based on the visual, aural, read/write, and kinaesthetic (VARK) model. A prospective cohort study was conducted involving 130 students from a medical imaging programme. Respiratory disease quizzes were set up using Kahoot!. To allow participants to experience learning gamification. Data were collected using a validated VARK questionnaire (version 8.0) to determine learning styles, and perceptions were assessed using a validated questionnaire adapted from the Mobile Application Rating Scale. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. No significant gender differences were found in perceptions of gamification aspects; both males and females held similar views. However, significant differences were observed by learning style such as aural learners perceived gamification aspects most positively, followed by visual and read/write learners. Kinaesthetic learners rated each aspect lowest, suggesting a need for more hands-on elements. The study indicated a need to personalise learning gamification according to individual learning styles, following the VARK model, while gender factors may be disregarded.