Using escape rooms in language classes

Innovator: Zdravka Majkić,  https://www.linkedin.com/in/zdravka-majkic-3aa76714b/

Organisation: Elementary school Bratstvo jedinstvo, Kucura, Vrbas

Setting of the practice: hybrid 

Description of the practice:

Sometimes I find very difficult to motivate my students to cooperate, although I give my best.

The second problem is cooperation and solving complex problems, how can I involve my students into these activities?

Guided with idea to create some new and innovative contents for the students I created the first escape room.

According to popularity of escape rooms in the real world, I choose topics and missions students find interesting like saving missions, breaking out the codes of safes with some secret documents, helping solve environmental problems etc.

When we create breakout  games and escape rooms we reach our aim, students learn while they are playing games. They have to use  their reasoning, knowledge, and skills to solve puzzles and challenges related to the content of the curriculum of native and foreign language. What is more important, in these strategies, students must work as a team which leads to better  classroom climate, and a better score in pro social and antisocial behaviors. And it gave great results, because using games makes classes motivating not only for students but for teachers also.

 Game-based learning can involve students in a learning activity, thus achieving high levels of commitment (concentration, interest, and enjoyment). This can be accomplished by increasing the levels of challenges and skills during the game. Ensuring the game is a challenge, therefore, is an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. The motivation to undertake challenging tasks is related to classroom flow. Other benefits of using escape rooms may be as a potential avenue for co-workers, classmates, or friends to explore and improve their collaborative skills, socialize with others, and develop team morale. 

The emphasis is placed on achieving gender equality in the rural setting thereby ensuring a higher level of participation of girls in STE(A)M disciplines that used to be regarded as largely male dominated! Innovative digital activities and the application of SEL make inclusion of children belonging to vulnerable social groups easier.