A multistage linear path design for educational escape rooms

Purpose Active learning methodologies allow students to bring a more active role in their education, where active evaluation tools may play an important part. In this paper, a multistage linear path design for educational escape rooms is described, where a particular level must be cleared before moving on to the following one. This way, each level may be dedicated to a different didactic unit within the curriculum. Design/methodology/approach The scheme of the design proposed is first described in an informal way, focused on the Spanish grading system. Afterwards, the basics of the design are abstracted away in order to describe it in a formal way, aimed at a generic grading system. The escape room is used as a group-based active evaluation tool. Findings The outcome obtained with this scheme provided an 11% increase in academic performance and a 17% increase in success rate with respect to the previous academic year, where evaluation was done through a traditional written exam. Moreover, the level of engagement achieved was high, according to the ISA engagement scale. Additionally, a t-test was performed with the distribution of scores obtained in both courses, showing that the results were statistically significant. However, the sample size was insufficient; hence, further research should be carried out with a larger group. Originality/value The novelty of this approach is in the format of the escape room, whose design is a multistage linear path.