New approaches to adapt escape game activities to large audience in chemical engineering: Numeric supports and students’ participation

Abstract

Gamification is a widespread phenomenon that relies on using game mechanics in other areas, such as the learning situation. One of the most exciting types of games in the late 2010s is escape games, where the principle is for the players to manage to escape from a room in which they are locked by finding hidden items and following a sequence of puzzles. The goal of using this type of game is to motivate/involve learners, to make them work and develop adaptability and responsiveness skills. Unfortunately, these escape games are only practiced in small groups, and the design is expensive and time-consuming. That is why cost-effective alternatives are proposed in this paper. They are either dematerialized, entirely based on a digital medium (smartphone/tablets/computer), or directly created by students, also with a digital medium, allowing integration into large classes, or at open house events.

Evaluating an Educational Escape Room Conducted Remotely for Teaching Software Engineering

“…A few educators have transcended the physical barrier and have developed purely virtual educational escape rooms [30], [31], [35]- [37]. However, two of these educational escape rooms [30], [31] were conducted exclusively face-to-face.…”

“…However, two of these educational escape rooms [30], [31] were conducted exclusively face-to-face. In the case of [37], the activity was hosted in person but students were also given the possibility of playing remotely and individually as a homework assignment. Therefore, there is a total of three works [35]- [37] that have reported on the use of educational escape rooms conducted remotely.…”

“…Although student engagement and learning effectiveness were not measured in said study, the participating students were asked for comments about the escape room in the video conference call after completing the activity and stated that they enjoyed it and that it was a good experience in cooperative learning. Lastly, [37] reported another remote educational escape room for learning chemistry. In this experience, most participants stated that the activity was engaging and beneficial for their learning.…”

“…On the one hand, there are previous studies that have provided evidence that educational escape rooms are learning activities capable of increasing students' knowledge [27]- [31], but all these educational escape rooms were conducted face-to-face. On the other hand, there are studies that have reported on the use of remote educational escape rooms [35]- [37], but these studies did not have analyzed the activities in terms of instructional effectiveness. Thus, no previous research has been conducted so far to investigate the learning effectiveness of remote educational escape rooms.…”

“…Most educational escape rooms reported in the literature were conducted as face-to-face activities in a classroom, a laboratory, an auditorium, or in another closed place. Conversely, only three works [35]- [37], to the knowledge of the authors, reported on the use of educational escape rooms conducted remotely. In these activities, termed remote educational escape rooms, the place where the escape room takes place is virtual, the students are separated in space, and teammates participate simultaneously using their own devices.…”