A Collaborative Escape Room Activity for Health Students

by James Burn
February 2025

At the beginning of the school year, RECIT Vocational Training partnered with Susan Oliver, pedagogical consultant at the West Island Career Centre (WICC), and two Health teachers, Catherine and Erika, to create an engaging and educational activity for students in the Health Assistance and Nursing program. The goal was to design an interactive experience that would foster teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking, while aligning with the program’s sixth competency: Preventing Infections and Contamination.

After brainstorming ideas, the team settled on an escape room activity—a dynamic and immersive way to engage students while reinforcing key learning objectives. Fortunately, RECIT Formation Professionnelle had already developed a similar activity the previous year, which had proven to be a hit among students. This ready-made template not only saved time but also provided a solid foundation for tailoring the activity to meet the specific activity needs.

The Escape Room Experience

The one-hour team-based challenge was designed to test students’ ability to work together under pressure while solving a series of clues and riddles. Using mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones, students accessed content via an augmented reality (AR) application called Adobe Aero. This application allowed them to view virtual clues and puzzles suspended in the air and scattered throughout the room. The AR experience added a layer of excitement and realism, as the clues appeared in real time on their screens, creating an immersive and dynamic learning environment.

The puzzles were diverse and engaging, ranging from deciphering word riddles to solving a Morse code challenge. Each clue brought students closer to the ultimate goal: unlocking a safe containing the antidote to a fictional virus. The activity was designed to simulate real-world scenarios, emphasizing the importance of infection prevention and contamination control in healthcare settings.

Student Feedback and Reflection

Following the activity, the team of consultants and teachers gathered feedback from the participants. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with students praising the activity for its creativity, engagement, and educational value. Many described it as a “bonding experience” that strengthened their ability to work as a team. One student remarked, “Working together brought positive results,” highlighting the importance of collaboration in achieving shared goals.

The activity also sparked a moment of reflection for the students. As they debriefed, many realized that the fictional scenario they had just navigated could very well mirror real-life challenges they might face in their future careers. This connection between the classroom and the workplace underscored the value of hands-on, experiential learning in preparing students for the demands of the healthcare field.

Conclusion

The escape room activity was a resounding success, blending innovation, education, and teamwork into a memorable experience for students. By leveraging augmented reality and real-world scenarios, the RECIT Vocational Training team and WICC staff created an engaging way to reinforce critical competencies while fostering collaboration and problem-solving skills. As the students left the activity, they not only carried with them a sense of achievement but also a deeper understanding of the importance of infection prevention—a lesson that will undoubtedly serve them well in their future careers.

This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and creativity in education, proving that learning can be both impactful and fun.