ABSTRACT:
The increasing number of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, among others, is an area that represents the importance of effective nutrition knowledge from an early age. Lectures and textbook learning, among other traditional learning approaches, have proved to lack engagement and effectiveness among learners. Gamification, or the use of gaming elements in learning environments, is among the tools recognized to effectively increase learning motivation and understanding. The study aimed to design and test the Super Heroes' Food Healthy Card, which is gamified flashcard application software to improve undergraduate learning understanding of basic nutritional issues. These flashcards depict healthy meals as superheroes, each representing a different food group and its associated health benefit to promote positive emotional involvement and active learning. This is a qualitative study design, collecting remarks from 30 students, aged 19 to 24 years, using an online survey structured with a 5-point Likert scale. Results stated that 95% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the app increased their understanding of key nutrition concepts, while 90% agreed on the reliability of the information. The percentage evaluating the app positively for learning support was 75%, 20% showed neutrality, and 5% opposed it. The findings show that gamified and interactive platforms are more beneficial for increasing knowledge, participation, and positive attitudes towards health nutrition compared to their non-gamified counterparts. The article highlights the potential of adding gamification components to nutrition education modules and encourages more study to assess information retention and outcomes on a larger population.