Abstract:
This dissertation offers the results of a completed master’s project that used a
mixed- method approach within a pragmatic paradigm and an exploratory sequential
mixed- method design. The study aimed to research and enhanced student
motivation by deploying a virtual escape room with a game-based learning approach.
With the growing importance of student motivation, particularly in the global
pandemic and online learning context, the research sought to address the challenge
of understanding and engaging Generation Z effectively through innovative teaching
and learning approaches enabled by technology-supported learning environments,
such as an escape room.
The research intended to find trends and motivating elements leading to student
motivation by conducting a case study focusing on a game-based virtual escape
room. The researcher designed the escape room using an associated Microsoft
Excel document containing the problems for the scenario. For the purpose of leaving
the room, the terms “escape room” and “document” were used interchangeably.
Following the game, the researcher collected data by administering a Qualtrics
survey with 546 participants responding, and five participants were chosen for semi-
structured interviews. Purposive, voluntary, and convenience sampling strategies
were used to collect data. The survey data collected was downloaded as a Microsoft
Excel file from Qualtrics and loaded onto SPSS to produce the tables and graphs.
The semi-structured interviews were recorded via Blackboard Collaborate and
transcribed using Otter.ai, and the transcriptions were organised into tables in
Microsoft Word.
This study’s findings add to the theoretical knowledge of student motivation by
shedding light on the potential of a game-based learning approach to improve
motivation. Furthermore, this study informs future learning and teaching possibilities
by revealing motivational variables and tactics that can be used to improve
educational experiences. This study contributes to the field of educational gaming
and instructional design by investigating student motivation through the lens of a
game-based learning strategy within a virtual escape room.
