Escape Rooms in Occupational Therapy Education: Practicing Clinical Reasoning Safely

Overview

From The Conversation, authored by Anna Ploszajski, this article examines how an escape room was designed to help occupational therapy students practice clinical reasoning in a safe, simulated environment. The approach emphasizes discussion after the game and alignment with professional standards rather than simply testing memorized facts.

• Uncertainty as a learning tool: puzzles create ambiguity and require teamwork to decide what information matters.
• Post-game discussion and reflection: the crucial phase that connects game play to professional standards.
• Evidence and limits: systematic reviews show escape rooms are widely used in healthcare education, but evidence on superior learning is inconclusive.
• Practical accessibility: no expensive simulators or VR headsets required; adaptable to ordinary teaching sessions.

Original publisher: The Conversation; Author: Anna Ploszajski.

Introduction

The article explores how an escape room was crafted to help occupational therapy OT students practice clinical reasoning in dynamic, incomplete information scenarios. The author argues that while the game-like format may resemble entertainment, its educational value comes from what students must think about, discuss, and justify during and after the activity.

Escape Rooms as a Pedagogical Tool in Healthcare

Escape rooms have already found a place in healthcare education across disciplines such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and physiotherapy. A systematic review of 52 studies highlighted key features: teamwork, experiential learning, and structured post-activity discussions. However, the review also noted that evidence comparing escape rooms to conventional teaching was inconclusive in terms of learning outcomes, underscoring the need for rigorous research designs to determine when and how they are most effective.

Designing for Educational Value

In designing the OT escape room, the emphasis was not on testing factual recall but on what students do with their knowledge. The puzzles and the buzzer introduce uncertainty so that different team members may spot items others overlook. This design encourages listening, interpreting varying viewpoints, and reaching a group decision. Mistakes are expected and used as learning opportunities rather than real-world consequences.

The Learning Cycle: Game and Discussion

After players escape, a structured discussion helps students reflect on their decisions, consider what they overlooked, and explore how alternative perspectives might alter conclusions. This reflective stage aligns with professional standards for occupational therapists that require ongoing reflection and review of practice. The post-game discourse is presented as the essential educational component that differentiates an educational activity from a mere game.

Evidence and Implications for Education

Beyond escape rooms, research into game-based learning indicates potential benefits for engagement and outcomes in some contexts, though evidence is not uniformly strong due to study limitations. The article emphasizes that the value lies in what the game asks students to learn and how it ties into clinical reasoning rather than the entertainment aspect itself.

Practical Takeaways

Key practical insights include implementing affordable, low-tech components (simulated notes, puzzles, a buzzer, and a storyline) and focusing on discussion and reflection to foster critical thinking. This approach provides a scalable option for institutions seeking to enhance decision-making skills without heavy investment in technology.

Conclusion

Preparing healthcare students for real-life uncertainty requires more than factual knowledge; educators should provide opportunities to practice applying knowledge, adapting to evolving situations, and communicating reasoning under pressure. Escape rooms can be a valuable part of this broader educational strategy when paired with deliberate reflection and alignment with professional standards.