What it is: I’m telling you, the edublog alliance I created in 2010 is like the gift that keeps on giving. Year after year I continue to be inspired, excited, and made to think by my edublog alliance PLN! These are my go to blogs before all others! Karen Ogen recently posted about a Virtual Escape room. It is so much fun, I had to share here as well on the off-chance you don’t already follow Karen’s blog (iTeach with Technology). Virtual Escape Room is reminiscent of the Clue Rooms or Escape Rooms that are popping up all over the US (I assume they are happening overseas, can anyone confirm that?). These real-life rooms are not only fun, they are a great way for students to think critically and problem solve together. The premies of the rooms is this: You find yourself locked in a room and, using the clues in the room, must find your way out. There are props, puzzles, and clues all over the room and a time limit. The Arizona Science Collaborative has created a virtual version of the escape room (cue cheers from me!). While a real-life escape room would be amazing, often this is not a realistic school field-trip because of funding, class size, and transportation. Enter the virtual version!
How to use Virtual Escape Room in your classroom: The Virtual Escape Room is a great way for your students to work in small groups to solve a mystery together using critical thinking and problem solving. Students must work together to find their way out of a dark virtual room using the clues in the room and solving some puzzles. Students learn how to work together in teams, communicate effectively, go through the scientific method, and solve problems creatively. Put students together in groups of 3-4 students to solve these problems on classroom computers, using an interactive whiteboard as a center, or on individual devices. Before completing the room, discuss what makes a good team member. How can we best solve problems together quickly? Students can go through the room together. Find out which team can get through the virtual challenge the most quickly. Follow up with discussion about what clues they used, how the students worked together as a team, and what things slowed them down. How was the scientific method used?
Tips: If you aren’t familiar with Breakout/Escape rooms, check out http://www.breakoutedu.com to find out how other teachers are creating their own! The virtual room could be a great introduction to a larger room. Even better, introduce your students to this idea using the virtual room, and ask them to create their own escape room challenge (in-real-life) for each other!
Hello. I am from Ontario, Canada and literally in the middle of a blog post about Escape Rooms in the classroom. My family and I went to one a few weeks ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be to bring one into the classroom. Thanks for your ideas here. I will be sure to link to this post in my own.
I really love the fact that we can take our students into a whole new world. I remember a program that I watched where a scientist set up a museum (the Laue) for a child who was dying of cancer, because she was an artist. She placed all of her paintings there and she was able to be there as an avatar. I didn’t even know this was possible until now. Thank you for introducing this to me.
Thanks for reminding me of the edublogger alliance from long ago. Do you still have links to the bloggers? Thanks also for the link to my updated site. I still love learning from you too!
Karen
Hmm, let me check on how to get those all in one place…I have them in my Feedly account! Thanks Karen 🙂
Hi there! Is there a trick to opening the virtual escape room? It just says the file can be harmful and then that my computer doesn’t have the right application to open!? Thanks! I’m excited to experience this in my science classroom!