Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested the benefits of pedagogical escape games for dental students but most have involved a limited number of participants and none was conducted in paediatric dentistry. This study aims to explore dental students' perceptions of the role of an escape room as an innovative pedagogical tool for enhancing motivation and consolidating learning in paediatric dentistry. METHODS: This study was conducted in April 2023 with all fifth-year dental students (n = 183), who were divided into 5-6 student groups to simulate the conditions of an escape room. Prior to entering the room, each student completed a 16-question true/false knowledge test to assess their general knowledge. Upon exiting the escape room, participants completed a 14-question appreciation survey. A descriptive analysis of the responses was performed, with results presented as percentages or means (and standard deviations) when appropriate, using R (version 3.6.1; R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). RESULTS: The 177 students reported being motivated to review their coursework in preparation for the escape game (4.3 [± 1]) and truly enjoyed the experience (4.8 [± 0.4]). Immersive learning was found to be helpful (4.3 [± 0.8]), and the escape game was rated as effective in consolidating paediatric dentistry knowledge (4.6 [± 0.6]). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the potential of educational escape games as an innovative and effective pedagogical tool in paediatric dentistry, serving as a valuable supplementary strategy to diversify instruction and enhance active learning in dental education.