Digital escape rooms as formative assessment tools in neuroeducation: an embedded mixed-methods study on agnosia knowledge

Introduction Gamified learning has been used in healthcare education to positively impact learning, improve knowledge acquisition and retention, and boost participation. One example of this strategy is digital escape rooms, which have successfully been implemented in fields such as medicine, nursing, pharmacology, and psychology education. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a digital escape room intervention on the learning experience of neuropsychology students regarding the topic of types of agnosia. Methods This study consists of a mixed-methods embedded design. A total of 44 participants from a Clinical and Health Psychology Bachelor's program were recruited to participate in the intervention. Students' learning was measured through a pre- and post-test; questionnaires were used to collect data on participants' experiences, and qualitative data were gathered through interviews. The virtual Escape Room consists of four phases with different clues and puzzles that participants must get through to complete the activity. Results The findings indicate an increase in students' knowledge (pretest: median = 42.86, IQR = 28.57; posttest; median = 85.71, IQR = 28.57; z = −5.57, p < 0.001). In addition, the use of the Escape Room (ER) did not generate feelings of anxiety among students ( median = 2.23, IQR = 1.10); students reported a positive experience with the ER as a learning strategy ( median = 3.92, IQR = 0.21), and the perceived usability of the ER was rated as good ( median = 3.28, IQR = 0.44). These findings are further supported by students' narratives: “ As a first experience, [in a virtual escape room] I genuinely enjoyed it a lot. [...] I remember leaving and telling the professor that I would never forget what simultagnosia is, because I was confusing it with something completely different .” Discussion The findings offer evidence that digital escape rooms are a valuable formative tool that promotes knowledge consolidation and offers students a memorable and enjoyable experience. These results suggest a promising way of approaching neuropsychology education through gamified learning, demystifying neurological disorders with innovative pedagogical approaches.