Sequential Analysis of Collaborative Problem Solving in Educational Escape Rooms

Background: Escape rooms are increasingly used in nursing education to foster collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills, yet the detailed temporal dynamics of student interactions remain poorly understood. Sequential pattern mining (SPM) offers a promising method to uncover these hidden processes. Method: This study analyzed nursing students' conversations during escape room activities using the Prefixspan algorithm for SPM. We compared the sequential patterns of CPS between low- and high-GPA groups to identify differences in their collaborative behaviors. Results: High-GPA groups demonstrated more structured and frequent three-step CPS sequences, such as providing information → showing agreement → expressing opinion, reflecting more organized and regulative behaviors. Low-GPA groups exhibited less consistent patterns, often followed by instructor debriefings. Conclusion: SPM effectively reveals the temporal and sequential nature of CPS in escape rooms, shedding light on previously hidden interaction patterns. These insights can inform targeted instructional strategies to enhance teamwork and clinical reasoning in nursing education.