Virtual Reality in Educational Escape Rooms (VR-EER)

They are primarily used in educational areas where skill development is central, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and healthcare (cf. Rosenkrantz et al., 2019; Williams, 2018). They are also marginally implemented in general business education, specifically entrepreneurship education, for teaching value creation (Maaravi et al., 2020), social entrepreneurship (Brinia et al., 2020), and soft skills such as collaboration (Martina & Göksen, 2020).

What are Educational Escape Rooms (EERs)?

They are "live-action team-based games where players discover clues, solve puzzles, and complete tasks in one or more rooms to achieve a specific goal (usually escaping from the room) within a limited time" (Nicholson, 2015, p.1). They fall under the category of serious games, simulations that "align learning, play, and participation while exposing students to real challenges in a virtual world" (Neck & Greene, 2011, p.64).

With advancements in technology, EERs have also progressed. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, EERs were translated into digital versions offered online. However, with students studying remotely, the natural engagement and experience of working in groups were lost.

This Project

For this project, we study how virtual reality (VR) technology can be used to connect on-campus students with off-campus students in a hybrid campus that facilitates team learning despite physical location. We are building a VR-EER in the VR platform Mozilla Hubs, a variant of a digital EER where students enter an EER by wearing a VR headset. Just like in a physical EER, students can collaborate on puzzles and other tasks using game control devices (game controllers). Students without VR headsets can also connect to the VR-EER via other mobile devices, allowing for real interaction regardless of physical location or specialized equipment, thus becoming part of blended education. We test access to and engagement with the VR-EER using Oculus Quest 2 headsets.

The project was completed at the end of 2022.

For more information, contact:

Richard A. Martina or Kristin Webb

Also involved were:

Kwan Suppaiboonsuk Nicoleta Pana