Designing and Evaluating a Situated Escape-Room Virtual Reality Game: Integrating ARCS Motivation and Situated Learning to Improve Chemistry Learning, Motivation, and Flow

This study reports the systematic design and empirical evaluation of a situated escape-room virtual reality (VR) educational game that integrates Keller’s ARCS motivational model and situated learning principles for high school chemistry instruction. The VR Chemistry Lab (VRCL) places learners in narrative-driven laboratory scenarios that require completing authentic procedural tasks in the unit of filtration and distillation to solve puzzles and progress through the escape-room sequence. Using a non-equivalent groups quasi-experimental design with intact classes ( N = 113), we compared two VR classes (n = 55) with two video-based classes ( n = 58). Chemistry achievement was analyzed using ANCOVA with pre-test scores as the covariate, and motivational and flow outcomes were examined using one-way ANOVAs. To further explore mechanisms within the VR condition, Pearson correlations were conducted between students’ perceived VR design features and ARCS/flow measures. Results showed that, after controlling for prior knowledge, students in the VR condition demonstrated higher post-test achievement than those in the video condition. The VR condition also reported higher ARCS motivation and flow, with medium-to-large effects across key subscales (partial η 2 values reported). Within the VR group, perceived VR design quality (e.g., immersion, interaction/usability, learning content, and game visuals) was positively associated with ARCS components and flow indicators, suggesting that design perceptions may be linked to motivational and experiential outcomes in situated VR learning. These findings contribute a replicable, theory-driven model for integrating motivational design and situated escape-room mechanics in STEM-oriented VR environments, while highlighting important considerations for classroom implementation and future research.