Abstract
This chapter investigates the potential of educational escape rooms in higher education exploring the theoretical frameworks surrounding their design, outcomes, and future directions. The primary purpose is to provide educators with an understanding of how these immersive experiences can enhance learning and engagement. The chapter delves into relevant theoretical frameworks, including constructivism, experiential learning, game-based learning, and social learning which underpin the effectiveness of educational escape rooms. The chapter also offers practical recommendations and discusses emerging opportunities for incorporating escape rooms into various educational contexts. By examining the multifaceted aspects of educational escape rooms, this chapter aims to support educators in leveraging these innovative tools to create engaging learning experiences and foster positive student outcomes.
TopBackground
Escape rooms have become a popular form of entertainment worldwide, offering a unique and engaging experience for players of all ages. The concept of an escape room can be traced back to early computer games and puzzle books, but the first commercially successful escape room, a single room game for teams of five to six players, opened in Japan in 2007 (Nicholson, 2015). Since then, the industry has grown exponentially, with escape rooms emerging in major cities around the world. Approximately 50 000 escape room outlets worldwide were estimated in November 2019 (“International Escape Room Markets Analysis,” 2019). This is not surprising as the activity appeals to a wide audience range of all age groups, including adults, youth and children and have become increasingly popular in recent years as an engaging and immersive form of entertainment (Nicholson, 2015). Originally designed as a form of entertainment, escape rooms have since been adapted for a variety of purposes, including team building (Cohen et al., 2021), education (Fotaris & Mastoras, 2019), and even professional development (Gomez, 2020). Today, escape rooms continue to offer a unique and engaging experience for people of all backgrounds and interests.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Affective Outcomes: Emotional and attitudinal aspects of learning, such as motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy.
Social outcomes: The development of interpersonal skills and social competencies, such as communication, teamwork, and collaboration.
Puzzle: A problem or enigma designed to test a person's ingenuity, knowledge, or problem-solving skills.
Escape Room: Live-action team-based game where players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms to accomplish a specific goal (usually escaping from the room) in a limited time.
Educational Escape Room: Escape room designed for educational purposes.
Game-Based Learning: The use of games and game-like elements in education to enhance learning, engagement, and motivation.
Active Learning: An instructional approach that involves students actively participating in the learning process, rather than passively receiving information.
Cognitive Outcomes: The mental skills and abilities that are developed through learning, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory.