Gamifying environmental toxicology: Active learning through a workbook, board game, and virtual tools

Environmental toxicology plays a crucial role in understanding the impact of pollutants on ecosystems and public health. However, its complexity and cross-disciplinary nature can pose challenges for students, particularly at the undergraduate level. To address this gap, we have launched an innovative educational initiative at the University of Alcalá (UAH) designed to enhance engagement and comprehension through active learning strategies. The project, awarded under the Institutional Impact Innovation Actions (Ai3) programme (UAHEV/1669), combines a structured student workbook, a cooperative board game, and online resources to make toxicology accessible, practical, and engaging. The workbook introduces students to real-world environmental case studies and guides them through risk assessment exercises, integrating regulatory criteria and toxicological endpoints. The board game, currently in beta testing, immerses students in simulated contamination scenarios where they collaborate to assess exposure pathways, identify hazards, and propose remediation strategies—building communication and decision-making skills in the process. A suite of complementary digital resources, including interactive quizzes and scenario videos, supports autonomous learning and curriculum integration. This pedagogical approach is grounded in gamification and constructivist learning theory, encouraging exploration, teamwork, and critical thinking. Pilot implementation across environmental science and pharmacy modules has shown promising results, with increased student motivation, deeper conceptual understanding, and positive feedback on the applicability of toxicology to real-world public health problems. By combining physical and virtual tools, this project fosters a flexible, inclusive, and experiential approach to teaching toxicology. It offers a transferable model for other institutions seeking to modernise toxicology education and improve scientific literacy among future professionals facing the global challenges of pollution and environmental health.