gms | German Medical Science

Background: Educational escape games are a didactically and methodically prepared version of the well-known board game. They allow learners to actively and autonomously acquire knowledge, practice skills, and develop critical thinking, problem-solving strategies, and creativity. They are suitable for reviewing and applying teaching content and effectively motivate learners. Studies also indicate that these games promote the development of communicative skills and teamwork.

Aim: The educational escape game teaching method was implemented at the end of the 4^th semester of the Bachelor programme for midwives to review theoretical learning content and provide practical training for essential skills related to the management of the obstetric emergency postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The aim was to test whether the learning objectives associated with the training could be largely achieved using this method and whether the students subsequently felt more confident in their management skills.

Methods: An escape room game was designed that encompassed four physical rooms, each addressing different causes of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) as well as its management within various settings in childbirth. Students were allocated 25 minutes per room to solve puzzles and tasks. During a concluding discussion, solution pathways, decisions, and teamwork within the groups were reflected upon, and insights for individual learning and practical work were discussed. A total of 43 students participated in the escape room across three sessions.

To assess the effectiveness of this teaching method, students were asked to self-assess during the debriefing whether they had achieved the objectives of the event or not. As there was no formal scientific evaluation planned at this point, the results are not scientifically generalizable and do not allow for scientific conclusions.

Results: The feedback revealed that the majority of students felt more capable of identifying the causes of PPH and taking necessary actions after the training. Additionally, students felt more confident in their actions as long as they were within the simulated environment. Despite the heterogeneity of the groups, consisting of students with varying experience levels, all participants found the method to be exciting and motivating.

Relevancy: Educational escape games represent an innovative teaching method within higher education, particularly suitable for revising and applying more complex learning content.

Recommendations: Due to the advantages of the method mentioned in the literature, its use in teaching is generally recommended. With regard to the use of escape rooms for PPH courses, scientific methods must be used in the future to check whether this teaching format is actually suitable and whether the desired goals can be achieved.

The preparation of the teaching method is time and resource-intensive, especially for larger groups. However, due to the mentioned benefits of the method, its use in education is still recommended. Specifically, when training decision-making-skills, the escape room can also be designed virtually, incorporating digital tools or utilizing learning management systems.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by own resources. There are no conflicts of interest.

The PDF file of the poster submitted for the meeting is available in German as Attachment 1 [Attach. 1].