Abstract:

A new strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), was adopted on 11 May 2022, to ensure that children are protected, respected and empowered online in the new Digital Decade, in line with the European Digital Principles. 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 Internet Safety Skills 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 internet safety principles 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 School in Greece (Lesvos) by 40 students aged 15-17 years old. A questionnaire was answered by students after playing the game.

The results from the questionnaire are very positive showing that the Educational Escape Room Serious Game enhanced students:
(a) Internet Safety Skills,
(b) collaboration,
(c) learning motivation &
(d) engagement.

Keywords:

Distance Learning, Serious Game, e-learning, internet safety, escape rooms.