Unlocking microbiology revision: MicrobEscape Room as a playful, team-based active learning activity for...

Active learning approaches are increasingly used to enhance student engagement and support meaningful learning in higher education, particularly in content-heavy disciplines such as microbiology. This study evaluates MicrobEscape Room, a microbiology-focused escape room-based activity designed as a collaborative revision activity for first-year undergraduate students. The game was co-created with undergraduate student partners to ensure alignment with learning objectives, such as teamwork, communication, retrieval of microbiology knowledge, and appropriate difficulty calibration. The activity integrates a story-based approach and problem-based tasks that require teams to solve microbiology-related puzzles across a sequence of escape boxes. The activity was implemented across three academic cohorts (2022-2025), with a total of 118 student questionnaires collected, along with informal oral feedback and observational data. Quantitative outcomes were analysed descriptively using 0-10 rating scales, and qualitative responses were summarised using free-text descriptors. Results indicate consistently high student ratings for organisation, clarity, demonstrator support, and peer interaction. Students reported high levels of sociability and team building, as well as positive engagement with microbiology content. Ratings of enjoyment exceeded perceived educational value, although students consistently identified the activity as both fun and educational. Observations further highlighted a collaborative and interactive learning environment supported by the structured classroom setup. These findings suggest that MicrobEscape Room is a feasible and well-received revision strategy that promotes engagement, collaboration, and active learning behaviours in large undergraduate cohorts. The co-creation approach and alignment of game design with disciplinary learning objectives appear to support student's reported engagement and perceived value of the activity. While this study focuses on student perceptions, future work should incorporate objective measures of learning outcomes to evaluate the impact of escape room approaches on academic performance.