Abstract:

Escape games are a new trend in game-based learning, which provides people with the opportunity to learn about science in an informal environment. Escape games are situated in settings that instigate interactions between the players and between them and the learning environment, and therefore correspond with the situated learning paradigm. As escape games are a relatively new trend, research on their design, implementation, and educational value is still in its initial stages. Hence, the current study aimed to develop a model for the design of educational escape games (EduEGs), and to examine its role in facilitating learning among the general populations.

This goal raised the following questions:
1) What situated learning components can be associated with EduEGs?
2) Whether and how can participation in an EduEG facilitate scientific knowledge and awareness about healthy nutrition?

The study included 54 pre- and in- service science teachers, and 239 adult players aged 18 to 60 60. Its data were collected through a survey, observations, interviews, and pre- and post- questionnaires. The intervention included participation in an EduEG on protein consumption and healthy nutrition. The findings indicated that the EduEG was associated with facilitating the situated learning components of authentic situation, scientific information, reflection, and collaboration. It also facilitated the participants’ knowledge construction and increased their scientific awareness to food-related aspects. The knowledge construction was found to be predictable through the level of presence of authentic situations and scientific information. The study’s results indicated that EduEG can be used for facilitating science education in informal environments.

Keywords:

Game-based learning, Informal learning, Situated learning, Educational escape games.