Use of Kahoot! ^® in Small-Group Teaching Sessions in Clinical Veterinary Oncology—Student Perceptions and Impact on Learning

There is an ever-growing need to maintain student engagement and optimize knowledge retention in higher education. To address this need, the use of digital game-based learning (DGBL) provides opportunities for instruction and assessments of students. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether using a popular gamification model (Kahoot!) would positively affect students' learning in veterinary medical oncology during a small-group teaching session and to explore students' perceptions of this technology. A prospective, quantitatively driven study with a supplementary qualitative descriptive analysis of perceptions was performed. In this study, 145 fourth-year veterinary students were enrolled. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine students' performances and perceptions within the DGBL environment. No significant differences were found in short-term or long-term retention for students who received DGBL tools compared with traditional quiz methods. Content retention decreased over time in both groups, regardless of the intervention received. However, DGBL was easy to use and perceived positively by students. No significant effect was found associated with the DGBL tool, however, this technology can diversify educational delivery and promote engagement. Future research could include investigating the impact of other factors, such as the time of year, rotation schedule, or clinical emphasis on student engagement and content retention.