Design and Evaluation of a Gamified E-Learning System for Remedial Mathematics in Pharmaceutical Education

Abstract

With the recent decline in university students’ academic abilities, many pharmaceutical sciences students in Japan have resulted in many lacking fundamental high school-level mathematics skills, making effective remedial education increasingly essential. Traditional methods often fail to maintain motivation, leading to poor outcomes. To address this, we developed a gamified e-learning tool with interactive content and progress tracking, targeting key math concepts in pharmaceutical education. Formative evaluations showed improved motivation and retention across various academic levels. Students reported that the tool lowered their anxiety toward math and promoted consistent learning. These results suggest that this kind of gamification is a promising strategy to support foundational education in specialized fields.