Converting an Entire Course Into a Game by Implementing Gated Pathways.

BACKGROUND: Games are well recognized for enhancing student engagement, yet most reported game-based interventions in higher education remain limited to single, one-time activities. Comprehensive integration of gaming concepts across an entire course is still uncommon, particularly in health professional education. APPROACH: In this context, a game-based strategy was embedded into an entire dental hygiene (DH) course using a gated pathway and rewards. In a real game, a gated pathway requires players to complete specific tasks before unlocking the next level. In the learning management system (LMS), the same game-based concept was applied by restricting students' access to weekly content until they completed reviewing lecture materials and passed a quiz. Successful completion of the quiz unlocked the next week's materials. Quiz games designed in Gimkit were integrated as rewards for students. EVALUATION: Student engagement data were collected from the LMS, and exam performance was compared with the previous cohort, where no gated pathway was used. Voluntary, anonymous surveys captured students' perceptions. Eighty-eight percent of the survey respondents agreed that the gated pathway helped them complete their tasks on time, and 87% found this intervention helpful for their studies. IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrates the successful integration of game-based concepts across a full DH course, with positive effects on engagement and performance. Clinical educators can adapt this approach to offer students a better learning experience in a game-like course.