Design and evaluation of a serious game for teaching nanotechnologies in pharmacy education

Introduction: A serious game was implemented and evaluated to consolidate the knowledge of third-year pharmacy students about drug vectorisation systems. Methods: After a lecture on nanotechnology in health, students were immersed in a magical world for the one-and-a-half-hour tutorial: to complete their mission, they had to pick the right cards and solve puzzles within a limited time. Then, in debriefing, all the key concepts were recalled and explained according to their metaphorical counterparts, i.e. the puzzles. Feedback from the beta-test in 2021 (n=112) helped to optimise the pitch, the game, the rules and the debriefing. A formative evaluation was performed in 2022 (n=140) investigating students’ perception immediately after the session and immediate knowledge retention using a pre-test/post-test evaluation. The results of the final assessment were considered indirect indicators of student involvement. Results: Although the game itself did not immediately improve the students’ knowledge retention, it really was a great tool to motivate and engage participants, which might explain a significant improvement in the final assessment. Conclusion: A serious game can be an interesting tool to teach pharmaceutical technology. To help colleagues wishing to revitalise their pharmacy interventions, a non-exhaustive list of ideas to consider before starting the game conception is provided.