Introduction:
Error-based learning (EBL), which involves the deliberate introduction of errors by the lecturer, could be a promising strategy to enhance knowledge retention during the learning process. Moreover, incorporating gamification tools such as Kahoot! fosters an engaging and interactive learning environment that enhances student motivation and reinforces knowledge acquisition. In a previous study conducted in 2022, with university students enrolled in the Human Nutrition and Dietetics Degree, our research group observed the potential benefits of EBL for improving learning outcomes. This study, aimed to evaluate student’s perceptions of this methodology in two different degrees: Human Nutrition and Dietetics and Pharmacy.

Methods:
Two themes with up to 10 intentionally introduced errors each were selected as intervention themes, while two comparable error-free themes served as controls. Each theme was covered in a lecture. Subsequently, quiz questions related to the error-based and control themes were presented through Kahoot!, where both erroneous and correct answer were provided for the intervention themes. At the end of the project, students completed a satisfaction survey which included one question related to the subject, 11 yes/no items, and 10 multiple-choice questions. Chi-square tests were applied to assess differences in response distribution, and categories were regrouped to explore differences between subjects. A level of 0.05 was set as significance threshold.

Results and Discussion:
A total of 50 students participated in the survey, evenly distributed across the the three subjects. Overall, 65.3% of students considered the project “interesting and useful” ( p=0.04), while 82% found the use of Kahoot! "motivating and fun." Additionally, 78% expressed interest in implementing this strategy in other subjects (p<0.001). Positive trends were observed in “cooperation between colleagues” (54%), “motivation in the error-themes” (58%), “perception of improved learning performance due to EBL” (64%) and “identifying almost all of the errors” categorized into “All or almost all” (58%) and “Half or less“ (42%). However, these differences were not statistically significant, likely due to the limited sample size. The only significant difference between subjects was found in the “source for error detection” (p<0.001), where students from the Nutrition and Culinary subject relied on lecture notes (68.4%), while those from Nutrition and Food Science turned to internet searches (58.8%). However, only 24.4% of students reported that the project increased their interest in the subject, suggesting the need for further refinement of the strategy to make it more engaging and applicable to other educational contexts.

Conclusion:
While the use of Kahoot! proved to be an effective tool for enhancing student engagement and motivation, so far, the EBL approach did not yield the expected improvements in learning outcomes. However, given the positive student feedback and the absence of rejection towards the project, we encourage further implementations with larger sample sizes to better assess the potential benefits of EBL in higher education settings. Future studies exploring the integration of EBL with other methodologies could further enhance its effectiveness and foster deeper learning.

Keywords: Error-based learning, Gamification, Student engagement, Higher education.