Gamified mobile learning: An escape room chatbot to enhance medical terminology acquisition

Objective: The medical terminology escape room game (MTEG) is a chatbot designed for gamified education that aims to transform memorizing complex medical terminology into an enjoyable experience for medical students. By combining elements of ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction) theory with escape room adventures, the MTEG aims to enhance medical students’ learning outcomes by making the vocabulary memorization process more immersive. Method: This study involved 48 first-year nursing students, divided into an experimental group ( n = 24) and a control group ( n = 24). The experimental group utilized the MTEG for self-study, while the control group relied on traditional learning methods. The study assessed learning outcomes through pre-tests and post-tests and used the ARCS Learning Motivation Questionnaire to assess learning motivation. Results: Results showed that the experimental group significantly improved learning motivation, with an average ARCS score increased from 3.82 to 4.33 on a 5-point scale. A medical terminology test result also revealed that the experimental group (mean score: 95.83, SD = 5.22) performed better than the control group (mean score: 91.22, SD = 6.21), with a larger effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.52). Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of gamification techniques to enhance medical terminology acquisition and language learning experience. By incorporating gamification elements, MTEG greatly increased the enjoyment of the learning process, encouraged active participation and significantly improved motivation and performance.