Escape From Passive Learning: Harnessing Gamified Digital Educational Escape Rooms for Immersive Marketing Education

Marketing education has undergone a significant shift toward experiential learning and interactive pedagogical approaches. This article demonstrates the potential of educational escape rooms (EERs) as a novel and innovative tool for enhancing student engagement in marketing education. Building on the literature on experiential learning, game-based learning, and EERs, this article presents a step-by-step guide for the design and implementation of a digital EER using Canvas, a learning technology platform. The digital EER is used for a cumulative concept review in a graduate marketing strategy course, leveraging technology to deliver an immersive and interactive learning environment. Student interviews were conducted to gain insights into the effectiveness of the digital EER, highlighting its impact on their learning experience, engagement, and motivation. The findings suggest that digital EERs have the potential to transform student learning, encouraging active participation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. This research contributes to the growing body of scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) research in marketing education, offering valuable guidance for marketing educators seeking to integrate innovative teaching methods into their courses and paving the way for adoption and further exploration of digital EERs as an immersive pedagogical tool in marketing education.