A Game Changer

Published: December 15, 2023

Author: Julia Roat-Abla

You’re locked in a room with seven others, pressed to escape before time runs out. No obvious openings, no visible keys—your heart races. Is this a dream? No, it’s an escape room, a 60-minute puzzle-like adventure where participants find clues and collaborate to get out. The most valuable asset is what each individual uniquely brings to problem-solving.

Last semester, three professors used the escape room experience to help students understand the complexities of problem-solving. Twenty-six students majoring in chemistry, math, or digital media participated. At first, they attempted to escape with others in their major. Later, they did the same with students from different majors.

Some groups escaped in time. Others did not. More importantly, students enjoyed the gameplay. It allowed students to respond authentically to each other. The professors then used David A. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle framework of Experience – Reflect – Think – Act to guide the students and help them reflect on the emerging learning styles.

While many colleges and universities claim to offer “hands-on” learning, GU’s unique approach connects the learning experience to character development. In the classroom and assignments like the escape room, GU’s Experiential Learning engages, interprets, and integrates students’ knowledge with self-awareness, and empathy.

Insights flow. “By having grace for myself, I could move on from failed attempts and accept failure as an important part of this experience,” said one escape-room participant. “By having grace for others, I could focus on the final goal of escaping the room without unnecessary conflicts.”

Chemistry Professor Scott Pattenaude champions GU’s ever-expanding expertise in experiential learning. “Students develop the ability to collaborate and cooperate successfully,” he says. The teamwork that gets them out of an escape room has value in the workplace and life. “It’s something beyond the grade,” he says.

Published from Fall 2023 The RECORD RISE UP: A Vision for GU.