This document summarizes research on the use of escape rooms in education. It finds that interest in using escape rooms for educational purposes is growing rapidly, as evidenced by a significant increase in peer-reviewed publications on the topic since 2017. Research has focused on how escape rooms can be used to apply curriculum content, create practical learning situations, and develop 21st century skills like problem-solving and collaboration. While results are generally positive, the field remains in its early stages, with few studies examining escape rooms in primary and secondary schools or teacher education. More research is still needed on how, why, and when escape rooms can best serve as educational tools.

1. Research on the use of Escape Rooms in Education
- Touching the Void
Lene Hayden Taraldsen
Mari Skjerdal Lysne
Paper presentation, ECER
September 2021

2. What is an escape room?
› We use Nicholson's definition of an escape room as a «live-action team-based game
where players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms
in order to accomplish a specific goal (usually escaping from the room) in a limited amount
of time.»
Retrieved from https://www.aalesundescape.no/ Retrieved from https://petergitmark.no/morsomme-escape-rooms-i-norge/
1. S. Nicholson, “Peeking behind the locked door: a survey of escape room facilities,” 2015. http://scottnicholson.com/pubs/erfacwhite.pdf
1

3. A review on use of escape rooms in education – touching the void
Four key questions:
1. What methods have been used to
examine the use of escape rooms for
educational purpose?
2. How is the escape room used for
educational purpose?
3. What is the focus of attention in
research on the use of escape room in
education?
4. What are the implications of the use of
escape rooms for teaching and
learning?

4. Publication trend
› The searches were limited to empirical projects in peer-reviewed articles written in English
and published after 2007, resulting in 70 articles.
› 2017: 4 articles
› 2018: 8 articles
› 2019: 32 articles
› 2020: 26 articles (first 8 months)
› The publication trend indicates that there is a rapidly increasing interest in the use of
escape room for educational purpose.

6. Fields of research attention
› Scenario
› Curriculum
› 21st century skills
› Motivation

7. Implications for teaching and learning

8. Escape room for educational purpose
› The reported experiences with escape room for educational purpose are generally positive.
› Researchers have reported on the opportunities to apply curriculum content, create
practical situations related to the professions, and emphasise and enhance the
development and application of 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking,
problem-solving, and cooperation.
› Research within this field is in a preliminary phase. Few articles have focused on the use
of escape room in primary and secondary school and teacher education.

9. «If, how, why and when» - regarding the use of escape room as a didactic tool
Photos: L. H. Taraldsen

10. Thank you for your attention!
Contact information:
Lene Hayden Taraldsen (lene.hayden.taraldsen@hvl.no)
Mari Skjerdal Lysne (mari.skjerdal.lysne@hvl.no)