Using BioBoard-G: A Board Game for Enhancing Understanding of Cell Division for Secondary School

Abstract

Gamification uses game design elements in digital or non-digital games to improve students' knowledge and skill acquisition in a learning environment. Previous research found that gamification outperformed traditional instructional methods, but few compared the differences between different game types. This study aims to develop BioBoard-G (an educational board game for secondary biology schools) and to test its effectiveness in enhancing student’s achievement in cell division topics as compared to online gamification. ADDIE model was used to develop BioBoard-G. To seek the answers a quasi-experimental technique was adopted. Two groups of students from two different schools were involved in the study which are the experimental group (BOARD-G) (n=31) and one control group (E-GAME)(n=30), and both groups have equivalent characteristics. Correspondingly, each group was taught by the same teacher and participated in the same courses and tests before using different teaching methods. Student achievement was analysed using the mean score of the pre-test and post-test. The main findings show that the mean scores of students who were exposed to newly-developed BioBoard-G are significantly higher than students who were exposed to online gamification in the post test with t (59) = 2.480, p < .05. The implication of this study can be seen in terms of practice in the school context in which it provides an alternative tool for teaching and learning biology.