From Play to Pedagogy: A Structured Topic Modeling Analysis of Escape Rooms Research

Abstract

Escape rooms have evolved from recreational activitiesto engaging educational tools, combining storytelling, puzzle-solving, and teamwork. Despite their popularity, research onescape rooms remains highly decentralized with no clear focus orpathway. To shed some light on this growing field, this studyanalyzes 1,051 published articles on escape rooms using naturallanguage processing, specifically keyword analysis and structuredtopic modeling. Our study addresses four key research questionsrelated to (1) commonly used phrases, (2) research topics, (3) theevolution of these topics, and (4) their interconnections. Weidentified 24 distinct topics categorized into design anddevelopment, field of application, participants, and technology.The analysis reveals an almost exclusive focus on educationalapplications (>90%), particularly in healthcare and STEMeducation, highlighting soft skills and practical knowledgedevelopment. Based on our findings, we provide a research agendawhere we highlight future research opportunities which includeexpanding research methods, incorporating generative artificialintelligence and easing the barriers to adoption for teachers.