Abstract:

Computational Thinking (CT) is a new literacy that should be cultivated by all literate people attending compulsory education to supplement the other three key competencies which are reading, writing and mathematical skills. It seems to be a promise for the education of the new generation of children. Teaching CT may require new pedagogical approaches that put students at the centre of the learning process. Serious games is a new learning medium that can support teachers' practices providing further understanding and meaningful experiences to students so that students learn concepts through playing. Thus, teaching Computation Thinking (CT) through a serious game can be a useful tool in the teaching–learning process for children. In this paper we present the design, development and evaluation of an escape room serious game which aims to teach computational thinking concepts to students.Educational Escape Rooms (EERs) have become a promising scientific field and have raised great interest in researchers and educators in terms of new Game‐Based Learning (GBL) approaches to break out from the traditional classroom and affect various specialties and educational contexts.The Educational Escape Room Serious Game was tested in a Special Education School in Athens by 30 students aged 13-16 years old. A questionaire was answered by students after playing the game.

The results from the questionaire are very posittive showing that the Educational Escape Room Serious Game enhanced students:
(a) computational thinking skills.,
(b) collaboration,
(c) learning motivation,
(d) personalized learning experience,
(e) flow and
(f) engagement.

Keywords:

Distance Learning, Serious Game, e-learning, computational thinking, escape rooms