Validation of an educational game for teaching cardiovascular assessment

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate an educational material used as a didactic resource to support the teaching of cardiovascular assessment. Methodology: the educational material was analyzed by experts in cardiovascular nursing and applied to 30 nursing students at the Federal University of Ceara (Brazil) in the period January - June of 2006. To analyze the internal consistency Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated. To analyze the student’s performance the scores of a test that evaluated the taught topic applied before and after the intervention were compared. Results: all the experts highlighted that the game features are consistent, is interactive, coherent, has pedagogic validity and allowed the student to participate in his learning process. The difference in the means of the pre and post intervention as arsessment was statistically significant. Conclusion: the validity and applicability of the game as a pedagogic resource was confirmed.