Science4Exitschool: Escape Games for Chemistry Classes

Abstract

Chemistry can often be very abstract. For this reason, different learning environments and methods are increasingly being developed to make it more accessible to learners at school or university. One such method is the use of educational escape games (Avargil, Shwartz and Zemel, 2021). This term refers to live-action, team-based games. In these escape games, clues must be followed, puzzles and tasks must be solved within a certain time frame in order to reach a certain goal (Tercanli, Martina and Ferreira Dias, 2021). This concept offers new opportunities for the educational sector. Learning pedagogy categorises this as game-based learning. The game serves as a medium for learning and achieving specific learning goals (Hu et al., 2022). Entertainment is not the main focus, but should be used in a targeted way to convey knowledge or elicit certain behaviours (Sailer, 2016). Through experimental escape games with digital enrichment, previously acquired knowledge can also be applied and consolidated. As not only the popularity of the subjects of chemistry and physics has declined, but also scientific competences (Dohrmann, 2019), it is particularly relevant for the STEM field to introduce students to these topics in a playful way (Veldkamp et al., 2020) and thus increase their interest in dealing with scientific topics. Escape games have already been shown to promote teamwork, problem-solving skills and creativity (Hacke, Przybylla and Schwill, 2019). These skills are part of the 21st century skills. In the context of the Science4Exitschool project, this concept will be applied to the teaching of chemistry in schools. In addition to the technical background, the paper will also describe how this innovation can be implemented as an example.