Escape the room!

An escape room is an adventure game set within a confined space in which players solve puzzles to unlock the door. Originally a videogame, you can now find non-virtual versions in cities all over the world. Players are given a set time limit during which they unveil a story and attempt to get out of the room. In order to do so, the players have to solve a variety of puzzles, riddles and other challenges in order to find keys and combinations to open locks.
Escape rooms have started to be introduced to education as they can be easily adapted to a variety of subjects and provide plenty of opportunities for learning. They can be exciting, intense and a lot of fun. Teamwork and communication is key, which means they are ideal for language learning and teaching too.
During this EVO session we would like to explore different aspects of escape rooms and other puzzles, looking how you can use them for language learning and teaching. Participants are invited to join in to get tips and tricks on how to turn their classrooms into escape rooms.
How to join
Session Objectives
By the end of this session you should:-
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become aware of a variety of escape rooms and other puzzle games that you can use for language learning and teaching - online and offline
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learn about escape rooms games online
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learn how to create 360° photos to build your own online escape room
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discover how to turn your classroom into an escape room
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find, adapt and create riddles and puzzles for your students to help them learn
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learn how best to create scenarios to situate language learning
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practise creating communicative challenges for your own escape game
Target Audience
This session is aimed at experienced language educators, language course designers, educational gamers, webheads, and anyone interested in escape rooms.
Syllabus
Week 1 - Using Escape Room in language teaching
In week 1, we will look at the escape room genre and other puzzle videogames, learning how best they can be adapted to language learning and teaching.
At the end of the week participants will have...
Week 2 - Puzzles and coded messages in language learning
In week 2, we will look at how puzzles, codes, and images can be used in language learning and teaching, and you will learn where to get ideas for puzzles you can use with students.
At the end of the week participants will be involved in...
Week 3 - Escape rooms games online
In week 3, we will explore how escape rooms are created using 360° photos and how to add the puzzles in form of hotspots adding text, images and videos.
At the end of the week participants are expected to..
Week 4 - Escape room scenarios
In week 4, we will look at the nuts and bolts of escape rooms, exploring how best to design scenarios, puzzles and riddles that will turn your classroom into an escape room.
At the end of the week participants will have...
Week 5 - Let’s get out! Escape room projects presentations
Show and Tell! During the last week of our EVO session, we try out each other’s escape rooms and provide feedback as to the level of difficulty, need for collaboration and communication and how the rooms could be improved.
Media
Google Classroom to enroll here https://classroom.google.com/ please use the code u91gxp. Simply click on the plus sign at the top right hand side of google classroom and add the code.
Zoom/ Adobe Connect live sessions
Session materials https://escaperoomelt.wordpress.com
Other tools
Digital games, Quizlet, apps
Suggested sponsors
IATEFL LT SIG, TESOL CALL IS, VWLL IS
Moderators
Graham Stanley
https://about.me/blogefl
graham[dot]stanley[at]gmail[dot]com

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Graham Stanley works for the British Council in Mexico. He is co-author of Digital Play:Computer games and language aims (Delta, 2011), awarded the British Council ELT Innovation award (ELTon) for Teacher Resources: and author of Language Learning with Technology (CUP, 2013), winner of the ESU Duke of Edinburgh award for ELT Book of the year. You can find him on Twitter @grahamstanley
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Heike Philp
heikephilp[at]gmail[dot]com
Belgium/ Germany

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Heike Philp is CEO of let's talk online sprl, an immersive education specialist for language teaching and learning. She is co-initiator of EU funded LANCELOT (virtual classroom) and AVALON (virtual world) and the CAMELOT project (machinima for language teachers) and GUINEVERE (games in virtual worlds). She is founder of the Virtual Round Table Conference and co-owns EduNation in Second Life.
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Dr. Randall Sadler, Illinois, USA
randallsadler[at]gmail[dot]com

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Dr. Randall Sadler is Associate professor at Illinois University, head of the Virtual Worlds SIG of CALICO, and a book author on language learning in virtual worlds and telecollaboration. He is a TESOL member and co-owner of EduNation islands in Second Life. ‘Virtual Worlds for Language Learning: From Theory to Practice (Telecollaboration in Education)’, Randall Sadler, published by Peter Lang AG, Switzerland.
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Statement of commitment: On your own session page, each moderator should type the words "I agree" followed by his/her name to show understanding of and acceptance of the following statement:
I understand that session moderators are expected to participate in the 5-week moderators' training session taking place from October 21 until November 18, 2018. The EVO session will be offered between January 13 and February 17, 2019. I understand that EVO sessions are free of advertising and no commercial sponsorship is allowed. Finally, I understand that EVO sessions are free and open to all, and that no academic credit may be given for participation.
I agree, Heike Philp, Graham Stanley
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