Digital Escape Room Agency, Personalized Instruction, and Flow Theory

Abstract

Scheduled during the final two weeks of a practicum internship, this asynchronous online lesson for preservice teachers focuses on Flow Theory and provides first-hand experience with agentic instruction to deepen students’ pedagogical understandings and promote future implementation of such practices. Applying principles of inquiry-based learning and digital escape room design, students are tasked with completing the digital escape room to rescue their instructor who has been trapped in a digital world by his jealous colleagues. Delivered through the Canvas learning management system, students seemingly enjoy the activity, despite occasionally struggling, and some students plan their own digital escape rooms as a result of this activity.