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staff
practice

Classroom to escape room: an innovative experience to prepare and test students

02 January 2024
Research
02 January 2024
Volume 16 · Issue 1

Abstract

Paramedicine is a rapidly evolving profession and teaching strategies need to be creative and forward thinking to meet the ever-changing demands of the role. Educational escape rooms incorporate a variety of learning environments in which students participate in a range of simulation-based activities based on solving puzzles and retrieving codes, which result in finding a prize. A mixed methods action research study was undertaken to ascertain whether an escape room approach can increase engagement and attainment in year-one paramedic science degree students at a UK university. The results showed that 100% (n=52) stated they would recommend this activity, 100% (n=52) agreed it helped them to review their teamwork skills and 98% (n=51) said that it improved their communication techniques. Non-technical skills enable the development of technical skills and knowledge within the workplace and are an overarching factor in providing good practice and reducing errors. An escape room approach is arguably an effective teaching method when the activities are based on learning outcomes.

Higher education has experienced rapid developments recently, partly because of COVID-19 (Ekanayake, 2023), as well as changes to work practices and qualifications. This is particularly evident in the health professions.

This paper explores how an educational escape room can be used as an innovative approach when teaching year-one paramedic science degree students.

Educational escape rooms incorporate a variety of learning environments. Their structure will vary depending on the course, the number of participants and the learning outcomes.

For the paramedic students involved in this project, the escape room challenged them in a series of simulation-based activities, testing their patient assessment skills, clinical knowledge, communication and teamwork (Figure 1). Each completed task revealed a puzzle code; once these had been collected and the puzzle solved correctly, they would find the prize.

The project focused on student engagement and their attainment of skills and knowledge. Action research, using both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection, was used and emerging themes explored.

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Escape room
Simulation
Innovative pedagogy
Paramedicine
Non-technical skills
Gamification