Escape Rooms
Designing digital escape rooms using Google Forms is a remarkably effective way to bring collaboration, critical thinking, and fun into the learning experience. These interactive challenges engage learners in problem-solving and content application in a low-pressure, game-like format that naturally boosts motivation and focus.
As an instructional designer, I use escape rooms to reinforce key concepts, encourage teamwork, and build momentum around learning goals. They’re easy to customize, accessible across devices, and require minimal tech skills—making them a versatile, creative, and cost-effective addition to any eLearning strategy. Best of all, they turn assessment into an adventure, helping learners actively engage with material in a memorable, meaningful way.
As a means of introduction to Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, students needed to complete the Beowulf Escape room. We reviewed answers as a group as a check for understanding
The first chapter of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World can be confusing for students due to it’s non-linear plot. These three escape rooms realign the narrative to one plot for each scene. Completing these gives them insight into what is actually “happening” in each scene. Then, when we go to re-read and analyze it, we can fully appreciate the structural function of the text.
Escape Room Design
Learners receive a fictional scenario, often based in the text we’re exploring.
Each section of the form is a "room" with a short scenario, a clue (based on instructional content), or puzzle to solve (e.g., multiple-choice, short answer, dropdown).
Clues include embedded videos, links to Educaplay games, or infographics they must interpret.
Progress depends on correctly solving each puzzle, unlocking the next "room" through section logic and response validation.
