Abstract:

Game-based learning environments such as digital escape rooms are increasingly used in science education to promote active learning, collaboration, and student engagement. Despite their growing adoption in educational contexts, there is limited research examining how the level of challenge embedded in such environments shapes students’ cognitive and emotional experiences during the learning process. Based on Flow Theory, which proposes that optimal learning occurs when challenge and skill are balanced, this study explores the relationship between puzzle difficulty, student interest, anxiety, and satisfaction within a digital escape room activity designed for chemistry learning.

A digital escape room designed for the revision of Organic Chemistry concepts was implemented with 45 upper secondary school students (11th grade). The activity, developed using the Genially platform, consisted of five themed rooms (kitchen, bathroom, laboratory, garage, and living room), each containing chemistry-related puzzles of varying difficulty. After completing the activity in small collaborative groups, students completed a questionnaire measuring perceived puzzle difficulty, interest, anxiety, and satisfaction using five-point Likert scales.

Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses revealed distinct experiential patterns across the different rooms. Higher perceived difficulty was generally associated with increased interest and satisfaction, while also producing moderate increases in anxiety. Quadratic regression analysis further indicated a curvilinear relationship between perceived difficulty and satisfaction, suggesting that the highest levels of satisfaction occurred at moderate levels of challenge. This pattern is consistent with the predictions of Flow Theory, according to which optimal experiences emerge when learners face challenges that are neither too easy nor excessively difficult.

The findings highlight the importance of carefully balancing puzzle difficulty when designing educational escape rooms. More broadly, the study contributes to the literature on game-based learning in science education by providing empirical evidence on how challenge design can shape students’ engagement, emotional responses, and overall learning experience in digital learning environments.

Keywords:

Game-based learning, Digital escape rooms, Science education, Flow theory, Student experience, Challenge balance.