Using game-based learning to teach psychopharmacology

Abstract

This article reviews several approaches used to teach psychopharmacology for graduate clinical psychology students. In order to promote engagement and increase student interest, students were broken up into groups and were asked to demonstrate their understanding of the material through a variety of interactive games (i.e., game-based learning, or GBL). Games used to teach this course included Quiz Bowl, Family Feud, Rounds, Potions, Brainopoly, and Puzzles. Results indicated that most students completed the reading prior to each class, were engaged with their team members, and appeared more confident in their understanding of the material over the course of the semester. Additionally, student satisfaction surveys revealed that most students greatly enjoyed these games and reported that they were useful to advancing their understanding of the material.