Active methodologies and academic training: the construction of games in health practice in primary care

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the relationship between game development and the teaching-learning process through active methodologies in health education. It is an experience report, based on the dialectical research method, conducted between October and November 2025 in a primary care unit in Niterói (RJ), where students, a teacher, and a preceptor created and implemented a board game about hypertension and diabetes mellitus for users of the HIPERDIA program aged between 60 and 80 years. The game creation process by the students themselves promoted protagonism, meaningful learning, teamwork, and knowledge consolidation, while its application within the community generated high acceptance, active participation, and horizontal exchange of knowledge. The discussion highlighted that gamification and educational games are consolidated as effective strategies for engagement, knowledge retention, and the development of clinical competencies, aligning with Paulo Freire's precepts by breaking with vertical models of information transmission. Final considerations indicate that the successful experience, although limited by its specific nature and lack of formal validation, reinforces the viability of lightweight and low-cost technologies in transforming vocational training and the relationship with the community.