The GBL activity is useful for soft skills development as well as working to develop skill dynamics to be used in conjunction STEAM Escape Room.
An escape room is a physical adventure game in which players are ‘locked’ in a room and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles and escape within a set time limit. The games are physical versions of “escape the room” video games. Games are set in a variety of fictional locations, such as prison cells, dungeons and space stations, and are popular as team building exercises. The value comes from the use of the rooms as a tool to help your cohort meet their intended learning outcomes.
Teachers
An engaging and active teaching tool
Can be run within groups
Can be repurposed for specific disciplines
Can help identify which students may need further support
Student
Develops team work and communication skills
Engaging way to learn
Provides the tools for reflection on team dynamics
Encourages teamwork and active participation
1. Identifying participants' needs
2. Create objectives (e.g. solo/ multidisciplinary)
3. Develop your theme (escape mode, mystery mode, narrative design)
4. Develop the puzzles (search for an item, intellectual puzzles, find a word puzzles, connecting content puzzles)
5. Location / space design
6. Physical props (e.g. Puzzles)
7. Technology props not necessary but if desirable then (e.g. computers, GPS identification, VR / AR)
8. Actors for setting up the players (villains, zombies, monsters, bosses, super heroes)
For details on setting up your own escape room check out our Educational Escape Room instructions.
To see an example of an escape room check our gamified video here
For a series of Escape Room film noirs you can go here