Abstract
Introduction
Although it is possible to live well with dementia and many individuals with dementia lead active lives with the help of family, friends, and communities, the general impression of dementia is frequently negative. Dementia is a global health issue. Despite this, little research has been done on the effects of innovative dementia education strategies among undergraduate nursing students. The aim of this study was therefore to assess if this serious digital game, originally intended for the public, could increase knowledge about dementia in first-year nursing students.
Methods
The intervention was a digital serious game called “The Dementia Game”, which was available to students throughout February 2021, to a convenience sample of first-year undergraduate nursing students (n = 560) completing a BSc Honours Nursing Degree programme in one university in Northern Ireland. The game was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design. The questionnaire comprised of a 30- item true- false Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), which covers risk factors, assessment and diagnosis, symptoms, course, life impact, caregiving and treatment and management. Data were analysed using paired t-tests and descriptive statistics.
Results
Overall dementia knowledge increased significantly after playing the game. Pre-test to post-test increases were observed across a range of seven categories of dementia knowledge (life impact, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, assessment, caregiving and trajectory), with particularly large increases in knowledge of trajectory and risk factors, as shown using paired t-tests. All pre-test to post-test comparisons were significant at the p
Conclusions
A short serious digital game on dementia improved first-year student’s knowledge about dementia. Undergraduate students also expressed that this approach to dementia education was effective in improving their knowledge about the disease.
Although it is possible to live well with dementia and many individuals with dementia lead active lives with the help of family, friends, and communities, the general impression of dementia is frequently negative. Dementia is a global health issue. Despite this, little research has been done on the effects of innovative dementia education strategies among undergraduate nursing students. The aim of this study was therefore to assess if this serious digital game, originally intended for the public, could increase knowledge about dementia in first-year nursing students.
Methods
The intervention was a digital serious game called “The Dementia Game”, which was available to students throughout February 2021, to a convenience sample of first-year undergraduate nursing students (n = 560) completing a BSc Honours Nursing Degree programme in one university in Northern Ireland. The game was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design. The questionnaire comprised of a 30- item true- false Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), which covers risk factors, assessment and diagnosis, symptoms, course, life impact, caregiving and treatment and management. Data were analysed using paired t-tests and descriptive statistics.
Results
Overall dementia knowledge increased significantly after playing the game. Pre-test to post-test increases were observed across a range of seven categories of dementia knowledge (life impact, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, assessment, caregiving and trajectory), with particularly large increases in knowledge of trajectory and risk factors, as shown using paired t-tests. All pre-test to post-test comparisons were significant at the p
Conclusions
A short serious digital game on dementia improved first-year student’s knowledge about dementia. Undergraduate students also expressed that this approach to dementia education was effective in improving their knowledge about the disease.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 177 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | BMC Nursing |
| Volume | 22 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 22 May 2023 |
Keywords
- Constructivist Pedagogy
- Dementia
- Nurse Education
- Nursing Student
- Pedagogical Research
- Quantitative Research Methods
- Serious Game
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Dive into the research topics of 'Evaluation of a dementia awareness game for undergraduate nursing students in Northern Ireland: a pre-/post-test study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Student theses
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Exploring the experiences of people living with dementia in dementia friendly communities in Northern Ireland: a realist evaluation.
Craig, S. (Author), Brown Wilson, C. (Supervisor), O'Halloran, P. (Supervisor), Mitchell, G. (Supervisor) & Stark, P. (Supervisor), Jul 2025Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy