A new study analyses how virtual escape rooms increase motivation and communicative skills in university students.

Lucía Bellés and Anabel Martínez have published the chapter “Adventures in Language: Fostering Communication and Motivation Through Digital Learning Environments” in the edited Peter Lang volume Research Trends in Discourse Analysis and Language Acquisition in the Artificial Intelligence Era (Research Trends in the AI Era), edited by María Luisa Carrió-Pastor and Carlos Periñán-Pascual, in which they examine the pedagogical potential of immersive digital environments in language teaching.

The study focuses on so-called ‘virtual escape rooms’, a methodology that has been gaining popularity in various educational settings, but on which there is still little applied research in the teaching of English in higher education. In this context, the authors analyse its impact on students on History and Translation degree programmes.

To carry out the research, two virtual escape rooms were designed, linked to the academic content of these degree programmes. A total of 101 students took part; organised into teams, they had to solve various linguistic and cultural challenges integrated into a digital narrative.

The results show that this methodology helps to improve skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and the use of English, particularly in terms of vocabulary and interaction. Furthermore, according to the surveys conducted, participants reported increased motivation and reduced stress levels during the activities.

The chapter concludes that virtual escape rooms can become an effective tool for enriching language learning in a university setting, by combining technology, active participation and experiential learning.