Unlocking Learning: Designing Online Educational Escape Room

The Online Educational Escape Room (EER) workshop is highly relevant to the training and adult education (TAE) industry, particularly as digital learning continues to grow in importance. In an era where adult learners often juggle work, family, and education, maintaining motivation and engagement in virtual environments is a persistent challenge. This programme addresses that challenge by empowering adult educators and trainers to design compelling, game-based learning experiences that drive active participation and deeper learning.
 
Escape rooms, traditionally used in physical settings, are gaining traction as powerful learning tools in adult education and corporate training. By integrating pedagogically sound escape room elements into online platforms, this programme supports the creation of immersive virtual learning environments. These are especially beneficial in areas like compliance training, skills development, onboarding, and workplace safety—domains where engagement is critical for knowledge retention and practical application.
 
The workshop provides adult educators with the tools, strategies, and hands-on experience to create their own online EERs tailored to specific learning objectives. Participants will learn to use digital tools and generative AI to develop puzzles and challenges, prototype and test their designs, and facilitate interactive sessions. These skills directly support the adult industry’s need for innovative, learner-centred approaches that foster collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Ultimately, this course equips practitioners to transform passive online content into dynamic learning adventures that resonate with adult learners.

This one-day advanced workshop aims to equip participants with the practical skills needed to design and develop Online Educational Escape Rooms (EERs) using a variety of digital tools and technologies. Building on prior knowledge of EERs and their pedagogical foundations, the course focuses on translating physical escape room concepts into engaging and interactive online learning experiences. Through a hands-on, guided process, learners will explore key elements such as digital puzzle creation, platform selection, and the prototyping and testing of their own online EERs.
 
 The course is designed for educators, instructional designers, and trainers who wish to enhance learner engagement and interactivity in virtual or blended learning environments. By the end of the session, learners will produce a functional prototype of an online escape room that can be immediately applied within their professional context. These skills allow them to design immersive, game-based learning experiences that boost motivation, collaboration, and critical thinking among learners. Participants can apply their EERs across a wide range of subject areas, creating customized experiences that align with learning outcomes while leveraging technology to enhance learner participation and knowledge retention.

 
 At the end of the workshop, the learners will be able to:
 
 1. Design an online Educational Escape Rooms aligned with Learning Goals
 2. Use a range of online tools and generative AI to create puzzles, challenges and interactive elements
 3. Prototype and test an online EER
 4. Facilitate an online EER

^ Assessment: Formative Assessment(s) (Assignments/Presentations/Practical Performances)

^ Completion: Upon 100% attendance and meeting Assessment requirement, learners will receive a Certificate of Participation from IAL (& other partners where applicable)