NeuroApp, serious games for enhancing neuroscience learning in undergraduate students: A pilot study

• NeuroApp is a Serious Game mobile application to enhance learning in Neuroscience. • NeuroApp use was associated with improved academic performance in questionnaires. • Cognitive interference control played a modulatory role in academic performance. • Psychophysiological variables may affect academic performance indirectly. Serious games (SGs) have potential for improving learning outcomes and academic performance. However, the field of neuroscience lacks sufficient empirical research in educational settings. The study aimed to assess the impact of NeuroApp, a mobile SGs application, on academic performance and explore the relationship between cognitive and psychophysiological variables with academic performance. A two-phase study was conducted with undergraduate students from psychology. The first phase (n = 42) required to complete a knowledge questionnaire administered before and after 8 weeks of using NeuroApp and also a user satisfaction survey. The second phase (n = 18) aimed to obtain cognitive and psychophysiological measures. A notable enhancement in learning outcomes was observed among students after using NeuroApp ( t (14) = -2.46; p = 0.027) compared to the initial assessment. However, in the initial phase, a portion of responses (n = 12) were excluded due to incomplete test engagement. User satisfaction survey revealed that NeuroApp was perceived as a beneficial tool, achieving a score of 79.13 %. The standout finding from the second phase was a positive correlation between the Stroop test and academic performance ( r (11) = 0.604, p = 0.029). The findings suggest that SGs, such as NeuroApp, can enhance neuroscience education by improving learning outcomes and academic performance. It highlighted the potential role of cognitive and psychophysiological variables in academic performance. Future research should consider larger sample sizes and better timing with students’ academic responsibilities. This study will contribute to obtain valuable insights into the effectiveness of SGs in educational settings.