Pi Museum: an Educational Escape Room for Learning Mathematics

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34624/id.v17i1.40291

Keywords:

Educational escape room, gamification, mathematics essential learnings, pi (π), pedagogical innovation

Abstract

This paper presents the implementation of a virtual educational escape room (EER) titled “Pi Museum”, designed to promote interactive mathematics learning within the context of the International Day of Mathematics, celebrated on March 14th, also known as Pi Day.
The EER was developed on the Genially platform and applied to 6th-grade classes in a Portuguese school as a formative assessment tool. The escape room’s theme was structured to reinforce students’ knowledge of the number Pi, its history, and applications, as well as to consolidate concepts of perimeter, area, and volume, always involving the number Pi whenever possible.
The experience showed that gamification facilitates knowledge acquisition, improves student motivation, and fosters teamwork. The results indicate that students felt engaged and motivated, rating the experience as enriching and fun. The methodology used was based on solving interactive mathematical challenges, promoting an innovative approach to teaching. The EER also offered the possibility of developing transversal skills, which are fundamental for students’ overall development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Sónia Pais, CITUR, Centro de Investigação em Turismo, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria & CIDMA, Centro de Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Matemática e Aplicações, Universidade de Aveiro



References

Ambrožová, P., & Kaliba, M. (2021). Online escape games as an educational tool. In L. Gomez Chova, A. Lopez, & I. CandelTorres (Eds.), ICERI2021 Proceedings (pp. 5998-6003). IATED Digital Library. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2021.1353

Ang, J. W. J., Ng, Y. N. A. & Liew, R. S. (2020). Physical and digital educational escape room for teaching chemical bonding. Journal of Chemical Education, 97, 2849-2856. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00612

Arnab, S., Eyre, E., Noon, M., Kernaghan-Andrews, S. & Mahon, D. (2021). An Adaptation of the ‘Escape Rooms’ Methodology in Online Learning to Facilitate and Investigate Active Learner-led Activities and Experiences. In: P. Fotaris (Ed.), Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2021, (pp. 1-13). Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited.

Attard, C. (2013) If I had to pick any subject, it wouldn’t be maths: foundations for engagement with mathematics during the middle years. Mathematics Education Research Journal 25, 569–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-013-0081-8

Boaler, J. (2022). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching, 2nd Edition. Jossey-Bass.

Clarke, S. J., Peel, D. J., Arnab, S., Morini, L., Keegan, H., & Wood, O. (2017). EscapED: A Framework for Creating Educational Escape Rooms and Interactive Games to For Higher/Further Education. International Journal of Serious Games, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v4i3.180

Cooper, G. (2023). Examining science education in ChatGPT: An exploratory study of generative artificial intelligence. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 32(3), 444-452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-023-10039-y

Fotaris, P. & Mastoras, T. (2019). Escape Rooms for Learning: A Systematic Review. In L. Elbaek, G. Majgaard, A. Valente and S. Khalid (eds.) Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2019. (pp. 235-243). Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited.

Gutiérrez-Fallas, L. (2024). Escape Room no ensino das funções: uma experiência de gamificação. Debates em Educação, 16(38), e16081. https://doi.org/10.28998/2175-6600.2024v16n38pe16081.

Hadi Mogavi, R., Deng, C., Juho Kim, J., Zhou, P., Kwon, Y. D., Hosny Saleh Metwally, A., Tlili, A., Bassanelli, S., Bucchiarone,A., Gujar, S., Nacke, L. E., & Hui, P. (2024). ChatGPT in education: A blessing or a curse? A qualitative study exploring early adopters’ utilization and perceptions. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 2(1), Article 100027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2023.100027

Hall, A., Pais, S., Morando, P. & Spreafico, M. (2024). Fun and Functional: Using Non-Digital Games to Promote Maths Engagement in Pre-service Teachers. Proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2024, 18(1), 337-346 https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.18.1.2675

Hakshurian, Y. (2023). Teachers’ competencies in developing digital educational escape rooms. Educatia 21 Journal, 25, Article 7. https://doi.org/10.24193/ed21.2023.25.07

Huang, S.-Y., Kuo, Y.-H. & Chen, H.-C. (2020). Applying digital escape rooms infused with science teaching in elementary school: Learning performance, learning motivation, and problem-solving ability. Thinking Skills and Creativity, (37), 100681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100681

Huraj, L.; Hrmo, R. & Sejutová Hudáková, M. (2022). The Impact of a Digital Escape Room focused on HTML and Computer Networks on Vocational High School Students. Educational Sciences, 12(10), 682. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12100682

Kayımbaşıoğlu, D., Oktekin, B., & Haci, H. (2016). Integration of gamification technology in education. Procedia Computer Science 102, 668-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2016.09.460

Lior, S. (2020). Studying big data using virtual escape rooms. International Journal of Advanced Statistics and IT&C for Economics and Life Sciences, 10(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.2478/ijasitels-2020-0004

Makri, A., Vlachopoulos, D. & Martina, R. (2021). Digital Escape Rooms as Innovative Pedagogical Tools in Education: A SystematicLiterature Review. Sustainability, 13(8), 4587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084587

Morando, P. & Turconi, P. (2022). Brains on in math classes. EDULEARN22 Proceedings, 1522–1529. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.0401

Morrell, B., Eukel, H. & Santurri, L. (2020). Soft skills and implications for future professional practice: Qualitative findings of a nursing education escape room, Nurse Education Today, 93, 104462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104462

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2020). Catalyzing Change in Early Childhood and Elementary Mathematics: Initiating Critical Conversations. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

National Research Council. (2002). Helping Children Learn Mathematics. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10434.

Nicholson, S. (2018). Creating Engaging Escape Rooms for the Classroom. Childhood Education, 94(1), 44-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2018.1420363

Nicholson, S., 2015. Peeking behind the locked door: A survey of escape room facilities. http://scottnicholson.com/pubs/erfacwhite.pdf

Pais, S., Sousa, A. & Lopes, M. (2024). Play2escape - A Digital Escape Room In Math Classes For Undergraduate Tourism Students - Case Study. Proceedings of 18th Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, 59-66. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/43434

Pérez Colado, I. J., Pérez Colado, V. M., Calvo Morata, A., Santa Cruz Píriz, R., & Fernández Manjón, B. (2023). Using newAI-driven techniques to ease serious games authoring. In T. Hammond & H. Hogan (Chairs), Proceedings of the 2023IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (pp. 1-9). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343021

Repetto, M., Bruschi, B., & Talarico, M. (2023). Key issues and pedagogical implications in the design of digital educational escape rooms. Journal of E-Learning and Knowledge Society, 19(1), 67-74. https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1135749

Reuter, J., Ferreira Dias, M., Amorim, M., Figueiredo, C., & Veloso, C. (2021). How to create educational escape rooms? Strategies for creation and design. In F. J. García-Peñalvo and A. García-Holgado, (Eds.), TEEM’20 Proceeding: Eighth International Conference on Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality (pp. 694-698). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3434780.3436664

Şahin, G. (2023). Designing a digital escape room game: An experience of a digital learning tool in basic education. Journal of Educational Technology & Online Learning, 6(4), 925-946. http://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1334912

Sailer, M. & Homner, L. (2020). The Gamification of Learning: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 77–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w

Santos, V., Pais, S. & Hall, A. (2021). Mathematics Classes for Tourism Undergraduate Students and Pre-service Teachers with Active Methodologies using Technologies, International Journal of Technology in Mathematics Education, 28(3), 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1564/tme_v28.3.10

Whitton N. (2018). Playful learning: tools, techniques, and tactics. Research in Learning Technology, 26. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v26.2035

Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: design and methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Yllana-Prieto, F.; González-Gómez, D. & Jeong, J.S. (2023). Influence of two educational Escape Room– Breakout tools in PSTs’ affective and cognitive domain in STEM (science and mathematics) courses. Heliyon, 9, e12795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12795

Downloads

Published

2025-06-16

Issue

Section

Desenvolvimento Curricular e Didática

How to Cite

Pi Museum: an Educational Escape Room for Learning Mathematics. (2025). Indagatio Didactica, 17(1), 153-170. https://doi.org/10.34624/id.v17i1.40291