In a fast-paced digital age, traditional educational methods are rapidly transforming into more engaging and interactive experiences. In order to embrace and enhance that necessary digital change it is mandatory that these tools and the educational benefits are taught to others. Therefore, trainees of the Digital Society School (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) created guidelines on how to create such innovation, the Digital Educational Escape Room (DEER). These guidelines were created under the guidance of digital transformation designer Mari Fujiwara, as project lead, and Enhancer project partners Richard Martina and Kristin Webb from AUAS.  

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This guidebook for designing a DEER aims to revolutionize the way we absorb knowledge, combining elements of gamification, problem-solving, and teamwork to create a truly unforgettable educational journey. By blending the excitement of escape rooms with relevant educational content, DEER offers guidelines in the form of puzzle pieces that are necessary to develop in order to create a digital educational escape room. Users of this guiding tool can access the platform from anywhere, making it a flexible and accessible learning tool for students, educators, and lifelong learners alike to create their own educational escape room.  

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Strength in Diversity 

The four trainees that created these guidelines covered with a diverse professional and educational background and their project lead Mari Fujiwara. After finding out that each trainee attributed a different meaning to what an escape room does an does not entail, Mari worked on creating a foundation and knowledge on escape rooms, guided by tools literature and sessions that were provided by Richard Martina and Kristin Webb. Starting with experiencing an escape room firsthand. However, it was the process of creating it that taught this project group the importance of having such a diverse group. Each trainee was armed with a different skillset and knowledge that contributed to the different elements that are needed to create an escape room. Banafsheh Jokarborazjani excelled in storytelling due to her background as a film director, while Mohammad Soleiman, as an architect, created fascinating rooms for their rooms. Michael Dankwa and Atua-Ntow Okai Nana Yaw laid a strong factual base by pinpointing and translating literature and previous examples to key elements that are needed to create an educational escape room. For Mari Fujiwara, leading this project was a first-time experience, which increased her expertise in project management. She reflected on the guidance she received from the Enhancer project partners, stating, "Richard provided me with structure and freedom to learn, act, and grow at the same time. He also showed the benefit of transparent communication. I learned from Kristin how to deal with a trainee. Kristin was great at listening to each trainee and providing them with their individual needs and what they needed to function as a group. She did it so naturally." 

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Get inspired

Want to get inspired and/or learn how to create an educational escape room? Click here and take a look at the guidelines.