AHEAD OF THE GAME The Use of Gaming to Enhance Knowledge of Psychopharmacology

Experiential teaching strategies have the potential to more effectively help students with critical thinking than traditional lecture formats. Gaming is an experiential teaching-learning strategy that reinforces teamwork, interaction, and enjoyment and introduces the element of play. Two Bachelor of Science in Nursing students and a clinical instructor created a Jeopardy!(R)-style game to enhance understanding of psychopharmacology, foster student engagement in the learning process, and promote student enjoyment during clinical postconference. The current article evaluates the utility, relevance, and effectiveness of gaming using a Jeopardy!(R)-style format for the psychiatric clinical setting. Students identified the strengths of this learning activity as increased awareness of knowledge deficits, as well as the reinforcement of existing knowledge and the value of teamwork.