Escape Room Research Articles

Implementing an Escape Room Pedagogy in Obstetric Education

Implementing an Escape Room Pedagogy in Obstetric Education

Teaching Response to Bias Using a Virtual Escape Room.

Teaching Response to Bias Using a Virtual Escape Room.

The State of the Escape Room and Script Murder Industry under the Impact of COVID-19

The State of the Escape Room and Script Murder Industry under the Impact of COVID-19

Interleaving Foundational Nursing Concepts for Accelerated Nursing Students Through Gamification.

As nursing education adapts to post-COVID learning and an ever-increasing data-connected world, interactive gaming experiences may help students retain information and encourage teamwork and critical thinking skills. This article explores the innovative use of an escape room as a means to interleave essential nursing concepts for first-semester students pursuing an accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing. The unique approach proved to be an effective and engaging way to introduce and reinforce key principles.

Escape room jako metoda aktywizująca w nauczaniu języka niemieckiego na uczelni wyższej

The idea of using an escape room in foreign language teaching fits perfectly with the needs of today’s learners, where we create a natural learning environment using digital tools. In the winter semester 2022/2023, a project entitled ‘My linguistic Escape Room (ER)’ was carried out among 60 third-year undergraduate students of German Studies at the University of Warsaw Institute of German Studies as part of the subject ‘Contemporary trends in language learning’. This project comprised three phases and was preceded by theoretical and practical lectures on the specifics of ER, as well as a review of analogue and digital games. The initial part of the project consisted of the lecturer initiating the project, discussing topic proposals in a forum, dividing into teams and developing a preliminary project plan. The core part involved independent work in teams and the final part involved the presentation of ER scenarios to the forum and their evaluation. Each of these parts was carried out exclusively in German. The following article presents the results of the project. The tool used to collect the research material was a questionnaire. The aim of the study was to identify the opinions of 3rd year undergraduate German studies students on the use of escape rooms in higher education. The main part of the survey concerns the advantages and difficulties experienced during each of the three phases. In the final section of the survey, students declare a desire for further escape room games at university and also during their further academic career. This fact reinforces the belief that escape rooms are an interesting and engaging activation technique at university, which should become a permanent part of the teaching repertoire.

Perceptions of medical students on narrow learning objectives and structured debriefing in medical escape rooms: a qualitative study

BackgroundEscape rooms are increasingly used in medical education as a complementary learning technique or even alternative to traditional educational approaches. Few studies focus on debriefing following medical escape rooms and how escape rooms can be used to achieve pre-defined learning objectives. Evaluating the use of narrow learning objectives may increase the depth of reflections and transform an engaging team event into an effective learning opportunity. This study aimed to explore participants’ experiences and perceived learning outcomes of narrow learning objectives in a medical escape room with debriefing.MethodsIn this explorative, qualitative study, participants saw a video lecture, participated in an escape room experience, and in a following debriefing. Throughout this learning session, the learning objectives concerned “exchange of information” and are therefore relatively narrow. Participants then participated in a semi-structured focus group interview and completed a demographic questionnaire. Participants were volunteer final-year medical students. Focus group interview recordings were transcribed and analysed using systematic text condensation.ResultsThirty-two students in eight groups completed the study. Five themes were described in the analysis of the focus group interviews: Experience with the narrow learning objectives, topics discussed in the debriefing, learning mechanisms, learning outcomes concerning exchange of information and influences of the learning approach.ConclusionsNarrow learning objectives and structured debriefing seem to increase perceived learning depth of medical escape room sessions. Using semi-structured debriefing still allows for discussions of other elements relevant to the students.Clinical trialsClinical.trials ID NCT04783259.

ESCAPE ROOM: ESCAPE GAMES AS A SCIENCE LEARNING TOOL

This article used the Escape Room game as a tool for teaching science, which was adapted to be carried out in a remote classroom. The objective was to propose the development of this game as a remote learning strategy, contributing to fostering scientific knowledge through the playful activity of solving challenges and enigmas. The research methodology used was a case study, having been developed in a private school, with 19 students from a 7th-grade elementary school class. Data collection was carried out using two instruments, with observations made during the application of the game and then a qualitative questionnaire. As a result, it was observed that this game provided students with the necessary conditions for meaningful, dynamic, and innovative learning, motivating them to be the protagonists of new knowledge, face challenges, seeking solutions through an active methodology based on solving problems.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0787/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Enhancing Psychiatry Resident Bonding and Education using an Escape Room Challenge Activity

Introduction An “escape room” is a game requiring teamwork and problem-solving during which a series of puzzles are solved to escape a locked room. Various escape room activities have been designed for healthcare professionals, including internal medicine residents and nursing students (Anderson et al. Simulation & Gaming 2021; 52(1) 7-17; Rodríguez-Ferrer et al. BMC Med Educ 2022; 22:901; Khanna et al. Cureus 2021; 13 (9) e18314). Escape rooms provide an opportunity for social activity, an important component of resident wellness (Mari et al. BMC Med Educ 2019; 19(1):437). This abstract describes an escape room challenge designed and implemented at our psychiatry residency program quarterly wellness afternoon event, which is an afternoon session dedicated to resident wellness.ObjectivesThe objective of this project was to design and implement an escape room challenge containing multiple game mechanics, including hidden roles, information asymmetry, acting, logical deduction, and spying. This activity was conducted to enhance bonding among residents while reinforcing knowledge in psychiatry.Methods We designed and implemented an escape room for 22 residents. Residents were divided into four teams each tasked with completing a sequence of puzzles to open the final lockbox. Two novel mechanics were added to the activity. Each team had a “clue holder” with clues to help solve all the puzzles. This team member had to conceal their identity because, if any of the other teams identified this person, the original winning team would have to give up the prize to the team that guessed the identity of this person. One member of each team was assigned a “spy” role whose mission was to make it hard for the clue holder to reveal all the clues. An anonymous post-activity survey was completed using Google Forms.Results The script was set in a fictional, abandoned psychiatric emergency room. The first task was a visual puzzle of a historic figure in psychiatry. The second activity involved residents guessing the psychotropic medication being acted out by another resident in the style of charades. The third activity required residents to apply developmental milestones to decode a combination lock. The fourth puzzle involved residents solving riddles by using information gathered from resident profiles on the residency program website.Eleven (50%) residents completed the post-game survey. All residents answered true or very true that they enjoyed the game and that participation helped them better connect with their peers. Eight (73%) residents answered true or very true that they learned something from the activity.ConclusionsAn adapted escape room challenge is a novel wellness activity that enhance resident collegiality, teamwork, and bonding. All residents who completed the post-activity survey indicated that they enjoyed the activity and felt more connected to their peers afterwards.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Employing Escape Rooms in Medical Education to Deliver Engaging and Immersive Learning: Brief Review

ABSTRACT The conventional mode of medical education is delivered using didactic lectures, wherein teachers disseminate the desired information to a large number of students in a structured manner. The purpose of the current review is to explore the scope and need of escape rooms in medical education and identify the potential considerations to be acknowledged while designing an escape room in a medical college for training undergraduate medical students. Escape rooms in principle refer to the learning environments that are interactive and immersive, in the sense that students who are part of these rooms are posed with a puzzle or a challenge or a task that must be solved by them within a defined period of timeframe to eventually escape from the room, which is the ultimate goal of such sessions. The success of escape rooms is determined depending by the way it has been designed, in terms of their ability to engage the involved participants and promote collaboration. In conclusion, the employment of escape rooms in medical education is an innovative teaching–learning method to overcome the limitations of conventional strategies. Acknowledging the merits of escape rooms in the development of critical thinking and teamwork skills, it is the need of the hour that every medical institution must explore the possibility and introduce it within their settings to ensure experiential and long-term learning among medical students.

Assessing Students with a Multilevel Linear Path Escape Room

Assessing Students with a Multilevel Linear Path Escape Room

La eficacia del Escape Room como metodología educativa en el Código Infarto

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of an educational intervention (escape room) in the acquisition and retention of knowledge in relation to the Infarction Code, and to compare the knowledge of other teaching methodologies related to the Infarction Code. MethodsA pre-post study was designed without a control group. After one month of the master class on the Infarction Code given to master's degree (doctors and nurses), an educational intervention was carried out consisting of an Escape Room on the same content, with a questionnaire that collected various sociodemographic data, and a knowledge test on the Infarction Code, which was repeated immediately after the activity and at the end of 2 months after the activity, and a test of knowledge on the Infarction Code. immediately after the activity and 2 months after the master class. Likewise, after the activity, a gamified experience evaluation questionnaire (GAMEX) was completed. ResultsThirty-two students received the educational intervention (12 physicians and 20 nurses), and differences were observed between medical and nursing professionals in terms of initial knowledge of simulation and gamification. After the activity, and based on the initial knowledge test, the score increased by 3.49 points, an increase that was also reflected in the test taken two months after the master class, where an increase of 2.08 points was maintained. The participants rated the experience positively, with no significant overall differences between the two professional groups. ConclusionsThe nurses had greater knowledge and contact with clinical simulation, virtual reality and gamification. The escape room showed to be a valid method for the assimilation and retention of knowledge in master's degree students. Medical professionals experienced a greater degree of immersion in the activity.

Marketing for Small Business Escape Rooms and the Importance of Experiential Learning

A semi-rural Ohio escape room collaborated with a local university for an experiential learning initiative, aiming to attract more college students, retain current customers, and enhance marketing strategies. Two questionnaires were employed: one targeting college students and the other existing customers. Findings revealed a higher attendance of upperclassmen students at the escape room and email as the preferred mode of communication. Moreover, a significant correlation between escape room experience, games, food, drinks, and overall satisfaction was observed. The customer-focused survey indicated the primary demographic as individuals aged eighteen to twenty-nine, with a high satisfaction rate of ninety-seven and a half percent. Additionally, sixty-three percent expressed interest in returning for a new escape room design.

Escaping the Assessment Maze: Navigating Policies through an Interactive Fictitious Experience

Misinterpretation or ignorance of institutional policies in higher education can lead to inconsistencies and legal risks, particularly concerning assessments. In response, we introduced an innovative approach to engage faculty and administrative staff in understanding the institution's policies related to assessments. We implemented a Ludic pedagogical strategy by transforming assessment-related policies into an interactive escape-room challenge. This themed workshop applied adult-learning theory, was developed based on recommended escape-room guidelines, and immersed staff in multiple policy documents, encouraging cognitive, behavioural, affective, and sociocultural engagement. Assessment policies were integrated into a fictitious narrative with puzzles to promote self-directed (heutagogy) and cooperative learning. The escape-room challenge was conceptualised as a single intrinsic case study that used postcards written by participants as data after successfully 'escaping' the room. These postcards served as reflective tools containing participants’ insights regarding the experience. Thematic analysis was conducted on the postcards, supported by visual data. The workshop yielded a central theme of 'A Whole-Body Human Experience,' reflecting cognitive, affective, and behavioural engagement. The escape room harnessed the interactive nature of games to ensure teamwork, motivation, communication, and problem-solving skills. The workshop, rooted in adult learning principles and designed according to accepted guidelines, effectively engaged participants in learning about assessment policies through an immersive escape-room experience. The diverse expressions of newfound knowledge, emotional engagement, and intentions to alter practices and processes confirm escape rooms as a suitable strategy for faculty development.

Enhancing Toxicology Teaching with Escape Rooms

Enhancing Toxicology Teaching with Escape Rooms

The Game Is Afoot!: A Simulation Designer’s Implementation of Escape Rooms In Graduate Medical Education

The Game Is Afoot!: A Simulation Designer’s Implementation of Escape Rooms In Graduate Medical Education

Evaluation of Knowledge and Competencies in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Using an Escape Room with Scenario Simulations.

To determine the usefulness of combining two methodologies (OSCE and escape room) in a scenario simulation to evaluate a subject, and determine the evaluation of the students of this experience. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out with students enrolled in a sexual and reproductive health-care course as a part of their nursing degree. The students had to solve four clinical cases based on the contents of the teaching practices of the subject by solving clues that led them to carry out procedures and techniques and provide care in scenario simulators. Students evaluated the experience using the GAMEX (Gameful Experience in Gamification) scale. Mean differences were estimated with their respective 95% confidence intervals. A total of 124 students participated. Of these, 63.7% (79) solved the clinical cases with their knowledge and skills. Most (80.6%, 100) students stated that they completely remembered and applied the knowledge of the topic during the game. Almost all (98.4%, 122) would recommend this experience. The dimensions with the best rating on the GAMEX scale were "fun", with an average score of 4.7 points (0.49), followed by "critical thinking", with 4.2 (0.59). Women presented statistically better scores than men (mean difference: 1.58; 95% CI: 0.55, 2.61). The OSCE combined with an escape room using scenario simulations may be a useful tool to evaluate the subject. In addition, the students were satisfied, had fun, and recommended the experience. This study was not registered.

Gamifying the university classroom: a comparative analysis of game dimensions through educational Escape Room and a digital board game

IntroductionUniversity education is looking for innovative ways to enrich the teaching-learning process.MethodsThis study aims to describe and compare two gamified experiences: an educational Escape Room and a digital goose board game with Genially. The design of this research follows a quantitative correlational methodology. A total of 135 university students in the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education participated in the study.ResultsData were collected using the Gamified Game Experience Scale (GAMEX). The results of contrasting means for the game dimensions between both gamified experiences reveal a significant variability (p < 0.01) in favor of the Escape Room in fun, absorption, creative thinking, activation and mastery. On the other hand, the absence of negative affect was significant (p < 0.05) in favor of the digital board game.DiscussionIt could be said that the educational Escape Room manifests itself as a powerful resource for learning. However, it can induce a high level of stress, generating discomfort, hostility and frustration in students, so its implementation is not free of negative effects. These findings provide additional empirical evidence that could guide the design of gamified experiences in the Higher Education environment.

Comparing Scenario-Based Simulation Education to Escape Room Simulation Education with Emergency Medicine Residents

Comparing Scenario-Based Simulation Education to Escape Room Simulation Education with Emergency Medicine Residents

Co-design of an Escape Room for eMental Health training of Mental Healthcare Professionals: A Research through Design Study. (Preprint)

Co-design of an Escape Room for eMental Health training of Mental Healthcare Professionals: A Research through Design Study. (Preprint)

Escape Rooms as Tools for Learning Through Failure

The increasingly neoliberal course of Higher Education is linked to rises in student anxiety around assessment and increased fear of the consequences of failure. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of any learning process (and of life generally) and managing failure in a productive and positive way is crucial for success and wellbeing beyond university. In this article, we argue that academia does not adequately prepare learners for managing mistake-making progressively and that escape rooms can provide a way to facilitate learning through failure. We first present an original model of failure-based learning that explores why being able to make mistakes safely is important for students and why the use of escape rooms in Higher Education presents an excellent opportunity for the application of this model. We then show the relevance of this model by using it to analyse two case studies that explore different ways in which educational escape rooms can be used in Higher Education: either designed to facilitate learning by playing a game; or supporting learning through designing a game. Our model of failure-based learning has three stages, emphasising the importance of preparation, an iterative play cycle of testing, failing, reflecting, and revising, and finishing with a presentation phase. The article concludes by considering the limitations of educational escape rooms in this context and highlighting some practical considerations for the use of these approaches.