Publish at May 02 2023 Updated May 02 2023
In many students' minds, the school experience is divided into two distinct parts. The first, the most important, which usually requires them to sit, listen, and work on knowledge. A strict place where one must follow the "plan" of the teacher and the educational system. The second is outside the school, on outings. Pleasant places where the rigid context gives way to new opportunities, informal learning, fun and a much more permissive environment. No wonder learners are quite happy to get out of school, even with the teacher still present.
Museums, wildlife and national parks, libraries, monuments, historical sites, theaters and more; there is no shortage of ideas and sites to stimulate students. Not to mention more playful inputs that can certainly be instituted in the classroom but do not provide the change of scenery sometimes necessary to open up one's curiosity and desire to learn.
Escapist games (escape games) have become very popular over time, especially with young people. The idea of intersecting puzzles with learning in a limited time frame fits well with the goals of, for example, video games that are at times timed. This works well since these experiences require thinking outside the box, working as a team, and being able to look back on the adventure and share what was easy or difficult once it is over.
Besides, many places creating these games have realized that there is a very interesting school audience. Whether it's in Britain, in Switzerland, in Germany or at the castle of Pesteils for a medieval experience, there is something for everyone.
Of course, the advantage of these multiple game proposals is that the teacher has almost nothing to do. All he or she has to do is provide transportation for the students and the organization does the rest. Whether the game takes place in the wilderness or in a museum, they follow the investigation or mission given to them by the organizers. They are the ones who will provide the necessary material whether it is technological or a simple notebook or clues.
Generally, the experience lasts about 90 minutes, like this one taking place in Bordeaux, with a welcome by a person in charge, the game itself, and a return to what happened afterwards to answer questions from those who didn't finish or to quiz the students on what they learned and retained. However, be sure how many people can engage in this before signing up and check the need for supervising adults for groups of minors.
Isn't this all too restrictive? These routes don't really leave much room for imagination or incorporation of material desired by the teacher. Scavenger hunts in gardens can be quite interesting, but there's nothing to say that you want to tackle plants with learners. Apps like Coddy offer urban escape games in different European cities (19 of which are in France) but this is still a bit too fixed.
However, there is an app called Actionbound (available for the moment only in English or German) that allows you to create the educational and playful experience of your choice. Everything is designed first on the browser where the teacher can organize his course as he wishes. He will put different points and geographical coordinates on which he can add information, QR codes to scan, questionnaires, media, surveys or particular missions.
Then students will need to have at least one mobile device and use the Actionbound app on their tablet or phone. They will be able to follow the "bound," that is, the teacher's creation, with it. It will then be possible to create as many specific routes or a series of objectives to be solved in the order desired by the learners in a given time whether in a park, in a wood, in the school itself, etc. It will be necessary to purchase a license to use beyond 14 days the application in a school institution but it can be a profitable investment if a school or teachers intend to carry out several in a year.
Go out, play and learn: this is the credo of these treasure hunts or escape games outside of school. Whether it's a course already produced by a company or developed by the teacher, the idea is to offer a breath of fresh air to students who will be able to use their linguistic, historical, scientific, mathematical or geographical knowledge in a playful context.
Photo credit: en.depositphotos.com
References:
Actionbound. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://en.actionbound.com/.
"Outdoor Escape Games Activity For School Field Trip." Outdoor Escape Games. Last updated November 6, 2021. https://outdoor-escape-games.ch/fr/sorties-scolaires/.
"How To Organize An Escape Game For A School Outing?" Coddy. Last updated March 2, 2023. https://www.coddygames.com/fr/blog/lifestyle/sortie-scolaire-coddy.
"Escape Game Group School Trip Puy-de-Dôme (Clermont-Fd)." EscapeGamer.fr. Last updated June 11, 2022. https://www.escapegamer.fr/scolaire/.
"Escape Game "Les Mystères De Montmartre"." Familin'Paris. Last updated June 24, 2022. https://www.familinparis.fr/escape-game-ado-montmartre-college-lycee-centre-de-loisirs/.
"Garden Scavenger Hunts." Mark Twain House. Last updated December 20, 2022. https://marktwainhouse.org/gardens/scavenger-hunts/.
"Scavenger Hunt Heidelberg." ENMAZE Heidelberg. Last updated February 1, 2023. https://enmaze-heidelberg.de/en/scavenger-hunt-heidelberg/.
"School Trip Activities | Escape Rooms | London." ClueQuest. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://cluequest.co.uk/packages/school-trips.
"A Medieval Escape Game With The Castle Of Pesteils As The Setting." lamontagne.fr. Last updated July 11, 2022. https://www.lamontagne.fr/polminhac-15800/loisirs/un-escape-game-medieval-avec-le-chateau-de-pesteils-pour-decor_14158649/.
"An Escape Game For School Outings In Bordeaux." Escape. Last updated November 24, 2022. https://bordeaux.echappetoi.com/occasions/escape-game-ecole/.
Valette, Jade. ""The Clock Has Stopped... Murder Party" At the Vouland Museum (Avignon)." Marie-rivier.org. Last updated June 9, 2022. https://www.marie-rivier.org/college/la-pendule-sest-arretee-murder-party-au-musee-vouland-avignon/.
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