Use of Gamification as an Active Teaching and Learning Methodology in Undergraduate Dental Education in Oral Radiology.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Active learning methodologies have been increasingly adopted in dental education to promote student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Gamification has emerged as a promising strategy; however, evidence regarding its effectiveness in oral radiology education remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified instructional activity, used in combination with traditional teaching, in undergraduate oral radiology courses. METHODS: This mixed-methods, single-group pre-/post quasi-experimental study was conducted with 68 undergraduate dental students enrolled in Oral Radiology I and II at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais. In addition, a historical control group of 64 students from the previous academic year, who received only conventional lecture-based instruction, was included for comparison. Students completed an assessment following traditional lecture-based instruction and a second assessment after participation in a gamified activity (Power Radio). Data followed a non-normal distribution; therefore, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for paired comparisons within the current cohort, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between the current cohort and the historical control. Student perceptions of the gamified activity were collected through qualitative feedback. RESULTS: Mean assessment scores increased significantly after the gamified intervention in both Oral Radiology I (from 5.6 to 8.6) and Oral Radiology II (from 4.8 to 8.1) (p < 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were observed between male and female students. Most participants (96.1%) reported that the gamified activity was an effective didactic resource and described increased motivation, engagement, and perceived learning benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Gamification, when used as a complementary strategy alongside traditional instruction, was associated with improved academic performance and positive student perceptions in undergraduate oral radiology courses. These findings support the integration of structured gamified activities as a potentially beneficial approach to enhance engagement and reinforce learning in dental education.