solve the room puzzles. The easiest questions to create and use in a dig- ital escape room are multiple choice questions. I prefer using them, as they have a clear answer and work well later when solving the final puzzle. True/false questions and fill-in-the- blank also work; however, if you do use fill-in-the-blank questions, ensure that each has one definitive answer. How you display your questions is a matter of personal choice. Paper packets can be provided and reused throughout the day, but I prefer to make my questions digital by build- ing them into the Google Form along with the room puzzles.


Puzzles Here is where the challenge — and thus the fun — of this type of activity begins for students. Puzzles should not be too difficult to start, but can become more challenging as students progress deeper through the activ- ity. A good example for a puzzle is a simple cipher — like the keypad of a phone where the answer maybe “F” and therefore the number for the


ate one. There is also a link at the end of this article wherein you can explore a portion of a digital escape room that was created to engage students in recycling at school.


Elements of an effective escape room Before embarking on making a digital escape room, it is important to understand the keys to what makes one success- ful. All effective digital escape rooms have three essential components and one that is optional. The three essentials are as follows: an engaging story, questions to answer, and puz- zles to solve, each of which unlocks a different digital room. Optionally, as an added challenge, you can add a time limit to break out of each individual room or to complete the entire escape.


Story A done digital escape room story lays the groundwork for what students will be doing. This is the hook to get students excited for what is in store; it works best if you can tie it into what students are learning. For instance, my story is set in the year 2035. Then, the school is littered with recyclables due to decades of students’ not properly disposing of them or simply not disposing of them at all. As a result, students are trapped in a school that is overrun by toxic trash creatures. Students must quickly correct the errors made by past peers before it is too late.


Questions The questions contain the concepts that you want students to learn. Answers to these questions are used by students to


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room puzzle would be “3.” Such puzzles can be either displayed as the digital room


image or on a separate sheet of paper that has been provided. Students apply their answers to the puzzle, which allows them to create either a numerical- or letter-based sequence as the room code. Only the exact sequence will allow students to continue through the escape room.


Time limit (optional) Adding a time limit can be beneficial for a couple of reasons. For one, it adds a bit of pressure, which can increase both student focus and fun. Secondly, it helps to keep students all on the same pace and will reduce the likelihood of having groups of students waiting around for others to finish.


How to create a digital escape room Begin by opening up a new Google Form. Give your escape room a name, insert a captivating image, and provide your story to hook in your students. Next, add a new section by clicking the option on the right that looks like two parallel lines. Separating each room into its own section of the Goo- gle Form is the key to giving students access to only one puz- zle at a time. Now, it's time to make your first digitally-locked room.


Again, insert an image, but this one will represent the cipher or code key that students will be using to escape that room. If you aim to go fully digital, now is a good time to create sev- eral content questions prior to making the one necessary for students to escape. To create a question, select the + symbol and choose the style of question (multiple choice, true/false,


Green Teacher 121


Photo by Matt Downs


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