Escape rooms in paramedic education: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Introduction: Paramedic students need to critically think and collaborate with others as part of their role. Adapting the popular entertainment activity “Escape Rooms” for paramedicine educational purposes was reviewed to support their clinical judgement abilities. This approach is an innovative teaching method with the potential to improve the learning experience. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken to review existing literature on the use of this approach in higher education. Multiple databases were used to identify and include publications in the systematic literature review. These databases were selected to obtain both breadth and depth of published literature, with Google Scholar being used for its vast breadth of coverage, and specific education databases being used for a more targeted search. Due to the vast quantity of publications available through Google scholar, a specific search string was used (“Escape Room” OR “Escape Game” OR “Puzzle Room” AND “Higher Education” OR “Paramedic Education”). For the education databases (Education Research Complete, Emerald, Elsevier, ERIC (Education Resource Information Center), and Teacher Reference Center), only the term “Escape Room” was used during each search. Results: Articles not relating to the use of an escape room style activity in an education setting were not considered. After removing duplicates, a total of 23 scholarly papers examining the use of escape rooms in an educational context were found. There was no reference to the use of this teaching methodology in paramedicine, but some health contexts were identified for nursing, pharmacy, radiology, and medicine. Discussion: With an instructional design that addresses logistical requirements, educational escape rooms can be conducted in paramedic degrees. Time requirements for this type of teaching method are substantial, but reasonable if the activity is repeated in subsequent semesters. Educational escape rooms can be used to provide a more enjoyable student experience that immerses them as active participants in the learning environment Conclusion: This review highlights the need for a longitudinal study to assess the implementation of an educational escape room into the paramedic curriculum. A longitudinal, multi-university study can further explore the feasibility of using a blended online/offline escape room activity in large enrolment paramedic qualifications.