The Impact of Gamified Escape Room Activities on Student Learning and Engagement in a Computer Database Course

This study examines the impact of gamified escape room activities on student learning performance and engagement in a university-level database design course. A quasi-experimental repeated-measures design was used to compare the traditional learning approach with a gamified escape room incorporating quizzes, points, leaderboards, and nicknames. The gamified escape room featured defined goals, a game character, interactive tasks, immediate feedback, problem-solving challenges, and a fun learning environment. Results from the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test showed significantly higher post-quiz scores and more consistent performance in gamified escape room-based quiz sessions. User engagement was assessed using the User Engagement Scale (UES), and students reported high levels of focused attention, perceived usability, aesthetic appeal, and reward. These dimensions align with the validated four-factor structure of the UES, which has shown good reliability and applicability across digital contexts. Aesthetic appeal received the highest rating, which implies that visually engaging and interactive design features played an important role in sustaining participation. Student feedback also indicated a strong preference for the gamified approach. These findings support the effectiveness of integrating gamification into classroom learning activities to enhance active learning, engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention.

@article{Chiu2026,
  title     = {The Impact of Gamified Escape Room Activities on Student Learning and Engagement in a Computer Database Course},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {17},
  number    = {9},
  year      = {2026},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Po Chan Chiu and King Kuok Kuok and Hamizan Sharbini and Mohammad bin Hossin and Chih How Bong and Noor Hazlini Borhan},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2026.0170968},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2026.0170968}
}