Abstract
Have you ever thought what would happen if a ransomware infected your laptop? This type of virus kidnaps files and encrypts them, and the only way to recover the data is by paying in bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency. This situation is undoubtedly terrible. All of your work, projects, and personal files will not be available (unless you pay the ransom). The first time students watched a video that contextualizes this stressful situation, they thought that they had been attacked by a computer virus. Fortunately, the panic only lasted a few seconds. This is the way to start a game called breakout or escape room. The difference between these two words is that, in the first case, the goal is to open a padlocked box, while the objective of an escape room is to find the key that allows to get out of a room. Both games are similar, containing riddles, puzzles, problems and some clues that would help the players to find the solution. This study analyses the use of a breakout game for educational purposes, more specifically in a university context. The experiment conducted mixes game–based learning methodologies with engineering students learning Linear Algebra, Calculus or Cryptography, which has allowed us to obtain promising results about the usage of this methodology.
Highlights
Many educators are concerned about how to motivate engineering and applied science students concerning mathematics lessons
The escape game described in this contribution was designed for first-year undergraduate engineering students attending a Calculus course
Game–based learning methodologies are increasing their applicability in higher education
Summary
Many educators are concerned about how to motivate engineering and applied science students concerning mathematics lessons As those students have a different profile than students of the Mathematics degree, teachers try to find a way to engage first and second-year undergraduate students in learning math topics and get them more involved in classes. Caraballo-Martín et al [7] used games as a tool for teachers assessment and self–evaluation for students of the Degree in Economic Analysis In this experience, professors teaching different subjects (such as mathematics for Economic Analysis I and II and statistics for Economic Analysis II) participated. Developed an educational escape game for the physics of fluids, as this topic is not included in the Romanian high–school curriculum These authors conclude that gamification in teaching environments has multiple benefits: it motivates students, encourages active learning, stimulates curiosity, and provides them with ”real” learning tasks.
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