A learning analytics perspective on educational escape rooms

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of the aspects under study in related work on educational escape rooms.

	Field	Level	Students' opinions	Knowledge assessment	Completion time	Completion rate	Hint statistics
Adams et al. (2018)	Nursing	University/Professionals	✓	Self-reported	✓	✓	✓
Gómez-Urquiza et al. (2019)	Nursing	University	✓	Self-reported	✓	✓
Brown et al. (2019)	Nursing	Baccalaureate	✓	Self-reported		✓
Kinio et al. (2019)	Medicine	University	✓	Self-reported	✓	✓
Guckian et al. (2020)	Medicine	University	✓
Boysen-Osborn et al. (2018)	Medicine	University	✓	Self-reported
Jambhekar et al. (2020)	Medicine	University	✓	Self-reported	✓	✓
Monaghan and Nicholson (2017)	Medicine	University				✓
Cain (2019)	Pharmacy	University	✓		✓	✓
Hermanns et al. (2018)	Pharmacy	University	✓	Self-reported		✓
Clauson et al. (2019)	Pharmacy	University	✓	Pre+Post-test		✓
Caldas et al. (2019)	Pharmacy	University	✓	Pre+Post-test		✓
Eukel et al. (2017)	Pharmacy	University	✓	Pre+Post-test
Cotner et al. (2018)	Pharmacy	University	✓	Pre+Post-test
Eukel et al. (2020)	Pharmacy	University				✓
Huang et al. (2020)	Science	Primary School	✓	Pre+Post-test
Vörös and Sárközi (2017)	Physics	High school	✓	Post-test
Dietrich (2018)	Chemistry	University	✓
Vergne et al. (2020)	Chemistry	University			✓	✓
Ang et al. (2020)	Chemistry	University	✓	Self-reported		✓
de la Flor et al. (2020)	Chemistry	University	✓			✓
Ferreiro-González et al. (2019)	Chemistry	University	✓	Self-reported	✓	✓
Monnot et al. (2020)	Chemistry	University	✓	Self-reported
Brady and Andersen (2019)	Biology	University	✓	Self-reported		✓
Mystakidis et al. (2019)	Biology	High School	✓	Pre+Post-test	✓	✓
Ho (2018)	Maths	University		Self-reported		✓
Jiménez et al. (2020)	Maths	High School	✓	Self-reported
Fuentes-Cabrera et al. (2020)	Maths	High School	✓	Self-reported
Borrego et al. (2017)	Computer Science	University
Gordillo et al. (2020)	Computer Science	University	✓	Pre+Post-test	✓	✓	✓
López-Pernas et al. (2019b)	Computer Science	University	✓			✓
López-Pernas et al. (2019a)	Computer Science	University	✓	Pre+Post-test	✓	✓	✓
López-Pernas, Gordillo, Barra, and Quemada (2021a)	Computer Science	University	✓	Pre+Post-test		✓	✓

Figure 1. Screenshot of Puzzle 3 on the web application, which required students to program the code to display the different parts of the bomb on the web application and deactivate them in the right order by following one of the clues available to them.

Table 2. Summary of the puzzles of the educational escape room.

	Puzzle goal	Learning objective	Game mechanics
1	Downloading and starting the bomb-deactivating application	– Use GitHub for downloading a code repository	– Noticing something obvious in a room
		– Understand a “package.json” file	– Using something in an unusual way
		– Start a React application	– Fixing something that is broken
2	Accessing the advanced mode	– Invoke JavaScript functions	– Hearing
			– Researching using information sources
3	Displaying and deactivating the bomb parts	– Render lists in React using the map function	– Translating
		– Know the React lifecycle methods	– Searching for objects in images
			– Pattern identification
			– Noticing something obvious in a room
4	Triggering the Cooling Mechanism	– Understand the Flexbox layout mode	– Symbol substitution
		– Know the Redux architecture	– Shape manipulation
		– Review HTML, CSS and JavaScript basics	– Pattern identification
			– Assembly of a physical object
			– Riddle
5	Deactivating a bomb	– Perform an asynchronous request to a REST API	– Communication with an entity outside the room

Table 3. Logs of students' interactions during the escape room extracted from Escapp.

Type	Description
Puzzle solving k	Students worked on a given puzzle ($k=1-5$) until they solved it
Hint obtained	Students attempted a quiz in order to obtain a hint and succeeded
Hint failed to obtain	Students attempted a quiz in order to obtain a hint and failed

Figure 2. Example of a sequence built from the students' data.

Figure 3. Sequence distribution plot (left) and index plot (right) of teams' actions during the educational escape room.

Figure 4. Sequence distribution plot (left) and index plot (right) of the actions of each cluster of teams during the educational escape room.

Figure 5. Violin plot comparing the success in obtaining hints among the three identified groups (for those teams who requested hints).

Figure 6. Violin plot comparing the scores between the pre-test and the post-test for the three identified groups.

Figure A1. Violin plot comparing the scores of the pre-test among the three identified groups.

Figure A2. Violin plot comparing the scores of the post-test among the three identified groups.

Adams, V., Burger, S., Crawford, K., & Setter, R. (2018). Can you escape? Creating an escape room to facilitate active learning. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 34(2), E1–E5. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000433

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Gómez-Urquiza, J. L., Gómez-Salgado, J., Albendín-García, L., Correa-Rodríguez, M., González-Jiménez, E., & Cañadas-De la Fuente, G. A. (2019). The impact on nursing students' opinions and motivation of using a “Nursing escape room” as a teaching game: A descriptive study. Nurse Education Today, 72, 73–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.10.018

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Brown, N., Darby, W., & Coronel, H. (2019). An escape room as a simulation teaching strategy. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 30, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.02.002

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Kinio, A. E., Dufresne, L., Brandys, T., & Jetty, P. (2019). Break out of the classroom: The use of escape rooms as an alternative teaching strategy in surgical education. Journal of Surgical Education, 76(1), 134–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2018.06.030

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Guckian, J., Meggitt, S., & Sridhar, A. (2020). Exploring the perspectives of dermatology undergraduates with an escape room game. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 45(2), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.14039

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Boysen-Osborn, M., Paradise, S., & Suchard, J. (2018). The toxiscape hunt: An escape room-scavenger hunt for toxicology education. Journal of Education and Teaching in Emergency Medicine, 3(1), 9–19. https://doi.org/10.5070/M531037616

 Google Scholar

Jambhekar, K., Pahls, R. P., & Deloney, L. A. (2020). Benefits of an escape room as a novel educational activity for radiology residents. Academic Radiology, 28(2), 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2019.04.021

 Google Scholar

Monaghan, S. R., & Nicholson, S. (2017). Bringing escape room concepts to pathophysiology case studies. HAPS Educator, 21(2), 49–65. https://doi.org/10.21692/haps.2017.015

 Google Scholar

Cain, J. (2019). Exploratory implementation of a blended format escape room in a large enrollment pharmacy management class. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(1), 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.09.010

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Hermanns, M., Deal, B., Campbell, A. M., Hillhouse, S., Opella, J. B., Faigle, C., & Campbell IV, R. H. (2018). Using an “Escape room” toolbox approach to enhance pharmacology education. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(4), 89–95. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v8n4p89

 Google Scholar

Clauson, A., Hahn, L., Frame, T., Hagan, A., Bynum, L. A., Thompson, M. E., & Kiningham, K. (2019). An innovative escape room activity to assess student readiness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(7), 723–728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.03.011

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Caldas, L. M., Eukel, H. N., Matulewicz, A. T., Fernández, E. V., & K. L. Donohoe (2019). Applying educational gaming success to a nonsterile compounding escape room. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(10), 1049–1054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.06.012

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Eukel, H., Frenzel, J., & Cernusca, D. (2017). Educational gaming for pharmacy students – design and evaluation of a diabetes-themed escape room. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(7), 6265. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8176265

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Cotner, S., Smith, K. M., Simpson, L., Burgess, D. S., & Cain, J. (2018). 1311. Incorporating an “Escape room” game design in infectious diseases instruction. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 5(Suppl. 1), S401. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofy210.1144

 Google Scholar

Eukel, H., Frenzel, J., Frazier, K., & Miller, M. (2020). Unlocking student engagement: Creation, adaptation, and application of an educational escape room across three pharmacy campuses. Simulation & Gaming, 51(2), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878119898509

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Huang, S. Y., Kuo, Y. H., & Chen, H. C. (2020). Applying digital escape rooms infused with science teaching in elementary school: Learning performance, learning motivation, and problem-solving ability. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, Article 100681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100681

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Vörös, A. I. V., & Sárközi, Z. (2017). Physics escape room as an educational tool. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1916(1). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5017455

 Google Scholar

Dietrich, N. (2018). Escape classroom: The Leblanc process–an educational “Escape game”. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(6), 996–999. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00690

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Vergne, M. J., Smith, J. D., & Bowen, R. S. (2020). Escape the (remote) classroom: An online escape room for remote learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 2845–2848. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00449

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Ang, J. W. J., Ng, Y. N. A., & Liew, R. S. (2020). Physical and digital educational escape room for teaching chemical bonding. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 2849–2856. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00612

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

de la Flor, D., Calles, J. A., Espada, J. J., & Rodríguez, R. (2020). Application of escape lab-room to heat transfer evaluation for chemical engineers. Education for Chemical Engineers, 33, 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2020.06.002

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Ferreiro-González, M., Amores-Arrocha, A., Espada-Bellido, E., Aliaño-Gonzalez, M. J., Vázquez-Espinosa, M., A. V. González-de Peredo, Sancho-Galán, P., Álvarez-Saura, J. A., Barbero, G. F., & Cejudo-Bastante, C. (2019). Escape classroom: Can you solve a crime using the analytical process? Journal of Chemical Education, 96(2), 267–273. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00601

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Monnot, M., Laborie, S., Hébrard, G., & Dietrich, N. (2020). New approaches to adapt escape game activities to large audience in chemical engineering: Numeric supports and students' participation. Education for Chemical Engineers, 32, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2020.05.007

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Brady, S. C., & Andersen, E. C. (2019). An escape-room inspired game for genetics review. Journal of Biological Education, 55(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2019.1703784

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Mystakidis, S., Cachafeiro, E., & Hatzilygeroudis, I. (2019). Enter the serious E-scape room: A cost-effective serious game model for deep and meaningful E-learning. In Proceedings of the 2019 10th international conference on information, intelligence, systems and applications (IISA) (pp. 1–6). IEEE.

 Google Scholar

Ho, A. M. (2018). Unlocking ideas: Using escape room puzzles in a cryptography classroom. PRIMUS, 28(9), 835–847. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2018.1453568

 Google Scholar

Jiménez, C., Arís, N., Magreñán Ruiz, Á. A., & Orcos, L. (2020). Digital escape room, using genial.ly and a breakout to learn algebra at secondary education level in Spain. Education Sciences, 10(10), 271. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10100271

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Fuentes-Cabrera, A., Parra-González, M. E., López-Belmonte, J., & Segura-Robles, A. (2020). Learning mathematics with emerging methodologies–the escape room as a case study. Mathematics, 8(9), 1586. https://doi.org/10.3390/math8091586

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Borrego, C., Fernández, C., Blanes, I., & Robles, S. (2017). Room escape at class: Escape games activities to facilitate the motivation and learning in computer science. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 7(2), 162–171. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.247

 Google Scholar

Gordillo, A., López-Fernández, D., López-Pernas, S., & Quemada, J. (2020). Evaluating an educational escape room conducted remotely for teaching software engineering. IEEE Access, 8, 225032–225051. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3044380

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

López-Pernas, S., Gordillo, A., Barra, E., & Quemada, J. (2019b). Examining the use of an educational escape room for teaching programming in a higher education setting. IEEE Access, 7, 31723–31737. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2902976

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

López-Pernas, S., Gordillo, A., Barra, E., & Quemada, J. (2019a). Analyzing learning effectiveness and students' perceptions of an educational escape room in a programming course in higher education. IEEE Access, 7, 184221–184234. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2960312

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

López-Pernas, S., Gordillo, A., Barra, E., & Quemada, J. (2021a). Comparing face-to-face and remote educational escape rooms for learning programming. IEEE Access, 9, 59270–59285. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3073601

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar