An Escape Room Educational Experience: Unlocking Midwifery Knowledge

This intrapartum escape room learning experience was initially developed as an in-person, summative assessment for midwifery students completing their first intrapartum course prior to beginning their intrapartum clinical rotation. The goal of this experience was to assess the knowledge and skills gained in the course through an innovative, engaging experiential learning activity that consolidates this knowledge in an interactive environment. This learning format leverages constructivist and adult learning theories, requiring students to draw upon prior knowledge to collaboratively solve puzzles related to key midwifery intrapartum concepts, thus reinforcing their learning through active participation and discussion. Course evaluations completed by students indicate a high level of student engagement, community building, and perceived learning value. The escape room format effectively highlighted both individual and group strengths and learning gaps, providing a comprehensive assessment of students' knowledge base for beginning student clinical experiences. The article reviews the use of escape rooms in midwifery education and explains how to develop different types of puzzles to meet the learning objectives of courses and how to connect the puzzles into a full educational escape room experience. The materials needed, logistics, and design for how to achieve this learning modality are discussed.