Abstract:

Introduction:
In the last decades, gamification tools and other innovative learning strategies have proven effective in encouraging students' motivation and learning. Among the gamification tools available, the didactic methodologies based on the escape room can promote enjoyable learning content that is a priori less attractive for students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the students' perception of the effect of a methodology based on an escape room in motivation, generation of interest in theoretical content, understanding, consolidation of concepts, and class entertainment.

Methodology:
This study was part of an educational innovation project (PIE22-197) and had ethical approval from the University of Málaga (Code 142-2023-H). Forty-seven first-year students (26 women, 20 men, 1 preferred not to say) from the University of Málaga who have a degree in physiotherapy participated in this study. The gamification consisted of a team ESCAPEROOM at the end of the subject, in which the winning team would be the one that solved a puzzle in the shortest time possible. Gamification focused on theoretical content about the history of physical therapy. To this end, physical and virtual tracks were provided throughout the theoretical teaching. At the same time, clues were provided that allowed points to be earned to subtract minutes from the final test. Finally, an anonymous online survey was given through LimeSurvey to determine the students' perception of the escape room.

Results:
According to the students' responses, the proposed experimental methodology obtained an excellent score (higher than 8 out of 10) almost all the dimensions studied (motivation, 8.48/10; understanding, 8.02/10; consolidation of concepts, 8.09/10; entertainment, 9.18/10), and a good score (7.52/10) in the remaining dimension, the generation of interest in the theoretical content.

Conclusions:
According to this study's results, applying a methodology based on an escape room seems helpful in motivating and facilitating the understanding and consolidation of theoretical concepts in undergraduate Physiotherapy studies. Part of this effect may be due to the increased interest in the theoretical contents and the perception of fun and entertainment associated with students carrying out the proposed activities.

Keywords:

Education, escape room, innovation, perception, physiotherapy.