Evaluation of knowledge acquisition and perceptions of teaching foundational cancer biology to grades 7–12 through interactive didactic sessions and a bingo game

Early exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through pathway programs leads to increased interest in its various fields, and games can improve knowledge acquisition and increase motivation. This study explored the effects of implementing new sessions on cancer biology and pathophysiology that included a bingo game in two different pathway programs for middle and high school-aged students. Ninety-six students participated in a new two-part cancer biology session taught by medical school faculty. One program's session was held in person, and one was held virtually. The study evaluated student perceptions of the sessions and their interest levels through pre- and postsessions surveys and knowledge acquisition through a multiple-choice quiz administered at three time points: before the lecture, before the bingo game, and after the bingo game. A one-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc analysis found a statistically significant (<i>P</i> < 0.001) increase from presessions to postsessions quiz scores but not between the individual time points. Whereas postsessions surveys showed that 65.06% of students reported an increased interest in pursuing a career in science, pre- to postsessions data showed a slight decrease in interest in areas such as health care and pathology. There were also significant differences in some perceptions based on the program, including content difficulty and usefulness of different session components. Supplementation of a bingo game to STEM-based pathway programs can make complex content more approachable to younger students and increase knowledge acquisition. Early exposure can initiate interest in STEM and health professions.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Integration of gamified learning into STEM pathway programs, especially in regard to cancer biology and pathophysiology, can improve knowledge acquisition and enjoyment of the content.