Escape room as a didactical strategy in the Master’s degree in Teacher Learning

Abstract

When facing the lack of motivation of university students, it is necessary to use active methodologies which will provide the students with an active role. Among them, we find game-based learning, we highlight the huge peak in the last few years of escape rooms among the formative processes. In this article, we analyse what can be generated in the university context with this type of approach, through the perceptions and reviews of the student body from the MA in Teaching after they take part in a digital escape room based on the movie Matrix. The employed methodology is a mixed one, using the GAMEX scale to obtain quantitative data about every single one of the dimensions measured by the scale that are relates to the participation in gamified experiences. This information was complemented with an open-question based questionnaire so the students could share their opinions and experiences, making use of qualitative way of processing this information. The results show very positive values in the enjoyment/fun, grade of absorption, creative thinking and dominion and the student body’s activation. Furthermore, this approach boosted emotional management, something fundamental in future teachers since they also feel frustration or annoyance. The fact they lived this experience directly allows the students to know their potential and their difficulties so they can apply them in the future.