Does a virtual escape room teach hepatitis better?
A hepatitis-themed virtual escape room raised pharmacy students' immediate knowledge scores across campuses.
Source
Implementation of a hepatitis-themed virtual escape room in pharmacy education: A pilot study
What they did
Pharmacy educators built Hepatitiscape, a timed virtual escape-room game on hepatitis concepts, and ran it with Year 3 students on Malaysian and Australian campuses. Students completed knowledge assessments before and after the activity, and a subset answered a perception survey about the game experience.
What they found
Hundreds of students joined the May 2022 activity; most completed pre and post assessments. Average knowledge scores rose by a statistically significant margin after the game, with similar patterns across subgroups. Student survey responses described the activity as engaging, and end-of-semester hepatitis item averages were comparable to the prior year's workshop cohort.
The limits
What it doesn't show
This pilot cannot prove long-term retention or clinical performance gains. Campus samples and response rates differ between pre and post surveys, and comparison with the prior year's exam item is observational rather than a randomised controlled trial.
Key terms
- Gamification
- Using game elements such as goals, puzzles, and teamwork in a non-game academic setting to boost engagement.
- Virtual escape room
- A timed digital puzzle activity in which teams solve challenges to 'escape' while reviewing course content.
- Pre/post assessment
- Knowledge tests given before and after an activity to estimate immediate learning change.
- Serious game
- A game designed primarily for learning or training rather than entertainment alone.
- Collaborative learning
- Learning structured so students work together to solve tasks and share understanding.
Flashcards
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Quiz yourself
How many students participated in the May 2022 escape-room activity?
Common questions
How big was the activity cohort?
Four hundred eighteen students participated across Malaysian and Australian campuses.
Did knowledge scores improve?
Yes—average scores rose by 13.39% after the game.
How long did teams have to escape?
Sixty minutes.
Was feedback gathered?
Yes—105 students answered a perception survey about the experience.
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