Integrating Gamification and Flipped Classroom Strategies in Medical Education: A Classroom Action Research on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION

Traditional narrative lectures in medical education often result in cognitive overload and disengagement. Flipped classrooms offer a feasible alternative by promoting active learning and preparation. We integrated flipped classroom strategies with gamification to enhance learning in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) education.

METHODS

Fifth-year medical students enrolled in the Preoperative to Postoperative Care V course, comprising 112 hours of clinical training and 24 lectures, participated in this educational session. Students received preclass materials and completed presession tests and psychometric assessments. During the 90-minute LUTS session, interactive Kahoot! quizzes were administered in three segments, covering classification, differential diagnosis, and treatment of LUTS, followed by a postsession test and summative assessment. Data were analyzed using nonparametric and Spearman's rank correlation tests.

RESULTS

Of 162 students completing the presession test, 115 completed the postsession test and psychometric evaluation. Significant improvements were observed across all objective domains. The mean confidence level (on a 5-point Likert scale) increased from 2.78 to 4.26 (p < .001), and satisfaction improved from 4.62 to 4.81 (p = .005). High presession test scores (above mode of eight cutoff) were associated with higher pass rates on the final multiple-choice exam (p = .04), and a weak yet significant correlation was found between postsession test scores and OSCE performance (r = 0.20, p = .03).

DISCUSSION: Combining a flipped classroom approach and gamification fostered active learning, improved engagement, and enhanced knowledge retention in LUTS education. These findings support innovative teaching and inform future research on long-term clinical practice.