Fun and Games and Learning Too
Fun and Games and Learning Too
Fun and Games and Learning Too
Patty Gaul
December 14, 2020
Summary
While we know escape rooms to be an adrenaline-boosting experience to enjoy with friends, they are now being used for learning to engage and energize participants.
As Lisa Haberman writes of escape rooms in "Lock In Learning With Escape Rooms," "In a world where we are constantly driven to grow personally and professionally, escape rooms are an effective way to introduce a concept or solidify that your training session has stuck with learners-in an enjoyable way. Learners will be able to come together-whether in person or virtually-to use their different strengths and knowledge to work through the puzzles together."
Start With Learning ObjectivesAs with other learning and training initiatives it's important to start with the fundamental question, "What is it that your learners need to know after undergoing the escape room experience?" Are you seeking to improve management skills? Make training sticky? Or perhaps increase team and trust building? Each of your learning objectives should have its own escape room activity, notes Haberman.
A typical escape room game lasts one hour, but when planning the experience, factor in whether the escape room will be a standalone activity or part of a larger training event or conference.
You may employ more traditional non-learning escape room experiences such as those with themes of art heists or escaping a locked room before a bomb is set to explode.
Haberman continues, "Tied to your theme, a captivating, full story for learners enables them to connect to the event and get into character. That immersion also will bring your game to a new level of interactivity, along with the stickiness you want for your learning objectives."
Gain Buy-InOne of the most critical aspects around a training or other development initiative in addition to understanding the learning objectives is gaining buy-in of stakeholders: leaders, subject matter experts, and the learners.
Though escape rooms don't need to cost a lot of money to create, you may get pushback from some leaders who think that fun activities don't equate to learning.
To sell the escape room experience to learners, partner with your marketing and communications team.
Query managers approximately 30 days after the escape room experience about whether they have noticed a change in learner behavior.
Reference
Gaul, P. (2020, December 14). Fun and Games and Learning Too. Retrieved December 18, 2020, from https://www.td.org/insights/fun-and-games-and-learning-too