Beyond lectures: leveraging competition, peer discussion and real-world scenarios in a digital card game to enhance learning of microbiology and immunology concepts

Teaching the complex interactions between hosts and pathogens is a fundamental yet educationally challenging aspect of life science and healthcare education. The intricate mechanisms of the immune system can pose significant barriers to students' understanding of infectious disease diagnosis and treatment. To address this, we used a web-based digital whiteboard platform to design a card-based competitive game called Micro-Immune Battles, aimed at more actively engaging students with microbiology and immunology to better develop their knowledge and underlying concepts. The game facilitates learning through a series of infectious disease scenarios, providing student teams with 'immune system response cards' that represent various immune elements. Working in teams, learners must construct sequential card cascades that correctly correspond to the specified pathogen in the scenario. This reinforces the temporal progression of immune responses whilst encouraging the application of theoretical knowledge to practical cases. Scoring is determined by the accuracy and speed of card placements, incentivizing rapid yet correct synthesis of knowledge. Points are deducted for incorrect placements, introducing an element of calculated risk-taking and critical reasoning. Analysis showed statistically significant improvements in microbiology and immunology knowledge after playing the game.