Abstract
BackgroundThis study presents an experiment regarding the introduction of gamification strategies in occupational therapy courses. Based on previous studies, the objective is to adapt the idea of recreational escape rooms to educational environments of health sciences like occupational therapy to increase student motivation and promote game-based learning and key skills, such as teamwork.MethodsComputer software was created for a collaborative escape room which allows on-line simultaneous play of up to 24–30 students. It was tested three times in an occupational therapy degree program with 75 students and it was based on two different subjects, although it can be adapted to others. The escape room was evaluated using feedback surveys and comparing students’ performances before and after the game. Descriptive exploratory statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.ResultsAn appropriate use of educational escape rooms can have significant positive impacts on students’ engagement and learning. Students were found to prefer using gamification tools in their learning. Their degrees of satisfaction exceeded their expectations.ConclusionsEducational escape rooms may have a positive impact on students’ motivation and a statistically significant improvement of test scores after playing was found. Comments from the feedback surveys were used to improve successive versions of the software and design of the game.Trial registrationT.F.G. n° 2020.038 (Research Ethics Committee of the Principality of Asturias).
Highlights
In recent years, many proposals have been made to improve students’ motivation [1]
Educational escape rooms put students in direct contact with each other and require them to collaborate; they are excellent activities to enhance an in-person classroom setting and, due to the characteristics of the escape game, cooperative and collaborative skills are enhanced during play [12]
Study aims The aims of this study were firstly to generate a situation in which the transversal contents of two different subjects (“Anatomy” and “Autonomy and functional independence in the adult”) within the occupational therapy degree program were integrated into an escape room activity to increase student motivation and knowledge of these subjects while promoting the use of curricular skills and attitudes
Summary
Many proposals have been made to improve students’ motivation [1]. One of the tools that has most interested the teaching community, as well asAn important role of higher education is to foster the development of individuals’ social and curricular skills, goals that are difficult to reach with traditional methodsDugnol‐Menéndez et al BMC Med Educ (2021) 21:544[5]. Escape rooms are described by Nicholson [11] as “live-action team-based games where players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms, in order to accomplish a specific goal, usually escaping from the room, in a limited amount of time” (p.1). This offers a non-traditional, experiential, peer-group learning opportunity that fosters constructive interactions, leading to observations of one’s own and others’ unique leadership skills and styles [10]. The objective is to adapt the idea of recreational escape rooms to educational environments of health sciences like occupational therapy to increase student motivation and promote game-based learning and key skills, such as teamwork
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