Game or Learning Opportunity? - An Analytical View on the Use of Educational Escape Games in Chemistry Education

Educational Escape Games (EEGs) as a type of Game-Based Learning aim for a combination of classroom learning with game elements to increase students' motivation to engage with subject learning and to allow students to access subject matter in alternative ways. Various research projects have shown that such learning settings can also help improve general competences. However, it is necessary to adopt a game perspective as well as a subject-matter perspective including consequences for instruction if EEGs are to be used as an adequate alternative to regular (chemistry) instruction approaches. The article provides a theoretical differentiation of EEGs from a subject-matter perspective and explains how individual facets interact with each other. Finally, consequences for planning of and research on EEGs are derived with reference to quality of instruction.