EsChemGame: An escape room approach in practical laboratory sessions for pharmacy students.

OBJECTIVES: Gamification has been identified as an effective tool for enhancing student motivation and engagement. Among these approaches, escape games have emerged as an innovative approach. The aim of our study was to design, implement, and evaluate an educational escape room activity in analytical chemistry for a practical laboratory session for second-year pharmacy students. METHODS: The escape room "EsChemGame", focusing on quality control of pharmaceutical active ingredients, comprising 11 puzzles to be completed within 75 minutes. To evaluate its impact, students complete a post-activity knowledge assessment and a satisfaction survey. Before full implementation, the game was tested on a group of 10 students. Academics also evaluated the activity. RESULTS: A total of 134 students participated in this activity. Students' perceptions of the activity were very positive. Academics also appreciated the activity, and they found that it is an engaging approach that could be implemented in other sessions. CONCLUSION: The "EsChemGame" was well received as an engaging and motivating approach.