150 - Heart Riddles: A Gamified, Interprofessional Microlearning Strategy for Pediatric Cardiology Education

Publication Number: 4147.150

Kara S. Gay-Simon, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, United States; Rani S.. Gereige, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL, United States

Background: Sustaining engagement in continuing medical education in healthcare can be challenging. Gamified strategies may enhance participation and knowledge retention by fostering curiosity and collaboration. This initiative evaluated the impact of a weekly cardiology-themed riddle series, "Heart Riddles," designed to promote active learning among physicians, trainees, nurses, advanced practice providers, and administrative staff within a pediatric cardiology division.

Objective: 1. After 8 weeks, participants from at least three professional roles (e.g., fellows, nurses, residents) will report enjoyment and engagement with cardiology topics, as measured by a post-intervention anonymous survey.
2. By the end of the 8-week riddle initiative, at least 75% of participants will demonstrate improved recall of cardiology concepts (e.g., anatomy, electrophysiology, congenital heart disease) as measured by responses to an optional knowledge check.
3. By the conclusion of the project, at least 70% of participants will be able to identify one new cardiology concept they learned from a riddle, as captured in a brief free-text response in the post-project survey.

Design/Methods: Over eight weeks, a cardiology-focused riddle was distributed weekly via email to the department. Riddles encompassed normal anatomy, congenital heart disease, and acquired heart disease. Explanations and teaching points were provided following participation. At the eight-week mark, a voluntary, anonymous survey assessed engagement, perceived educational value, and knowledge retention.

Results: Twenty-one participants, including attendings, trainees, nurses and advanced practitioners, completed the survey. Of these, 20 (95%) reported enjoying the riddle series and anticipating its weekly release. Fifteen (71%) indicated that the riddles enhanced their cardiology knowledge by introducing new concepts. Nineteen (90%) successfully passed a random knowledge assessment, reflecting effective short-term retention of educational content.

Conclusion(s): The "Heart Riddles" intervention demonstrated high engagement and measurable educational value across a diverse audience. The combination of gamification and brief, low-barrier participation appeared to enhance both learner satisfaction and knowledge acquisition. This gamified educational activity is cost-effective and can be scalable to individual educational benefit as well as team-based, interprofessional, group fun learning together. Future directions include optimizing riddle complexity and integrating the approach into structured curricula to sustain long-term educational outcomes.

Cardiology topics
Table 1 shows the cardiology topics covered over the 8-week study period.

Heart Riddle
This is an example of a weekly heart riddle.

Heart Riddle Answer
This is an example of a detailed answer to the riddle, highlighting the teaching points covered in the riddle.