Design and evaluation of a mobile serious game application to supplement instruction

Background and purpose: Pharmacy students often exhibit minimal interest in pharmacy management courses. This pilot study reports on the design and testing of a mobile game application (app) prototype to improve student engagement and learning of financial management concepts. Educational activity and setting: A mobile app (Planet Finance) was designed to supplement instruction for two key financial management topics. The app was introduced to students in two schools of pharmacy after content on financial management was taught. Students were requested to use the game app for a minimum of two weeks and complete a questionnaire assessing their knowledge of management content and perceptions of the app. Findings: The overall survey response rate was 41%. The majority of respondents played the game app two to four times (48.3%). Only 13.8% of respondents completed all 10 levels. Participants generally agreed that game instructions were clear, and that the game was easy to navigate, entertaining and made learning fun; allowed more engagement with content; and enhanced financial statements and ratios comfort. Those who played the game app more often had more favorable perceptions. User data from the game app showed that the majority of respondents accessed the game app on not more than two days (89.1%) and played up to four levels (69.6%). Overall, students enjoyed playing Planet Finance; however, uptake of the app was low. Future revisions may involve adding additional competitive features, content, levels, incentives, and focusing on strategies to incorporate the game into traditional classroom instruction.