Students learn valuable lessons through escape room exercise
Published: May 13, 2025
Author: Dave Bell
Imagine being locked in a room with six or eight people and told you are on a runaway train, in a doomed submarine, in a haunted house, or stranded on a deserted island.
A voice on the room’s intercom describes your situation and informs you that you have an hour to discover clues hidden within the room that will allow you to escape.
More than 100 students from Greenville University, representing eight different classes, recently participated in such an exercise at Breakout Games St. Louis. The facility features seven rooms designed to present unique challenges that participants must overcome to escape.
The room’s door remains unlocked for those struggling with claustrophobia, allowing participants to leave anytime needed. However, few did; they were too busy searching for clues to solve the room’s mysterious riddle before they reached the 60-minute limit.
“The company does a great job of making the rooms feel realistic,” said Scott Pattenaude, a GU chemistry professor who has organized trips to Breakout Games for the past three years. “Cameras and microphones in the rooms allow the staff to observe students interacting with each other as they search for clues to help them unlock the door. It’s a great way to provide them feedback about their behavior in unfamiliar and sometimes stressful situations.”
Since launching the escape room exercise for his organic chemistry class, Pattenaude has introduced a new twist by inviting participants from various courses, including biology, chemistry, business law, English, and math. These students bring diverse skills and personalities to the problem-solving process, which he claims broadens and enriches the experience.
GU President Suzanne Davis participated in the exercise this year, taking members of a business law class she’s teaching.
“It was a great experience,” Davis said. “We want the students to learn about teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving techniques. This exercise also helps them think on their feet because they’re operating under a time limit.”
Though each participant was encouraged to contribute to solving the room’s mystery, collaboration and communication were among the desired learning outcomes. During the hour-long period, many participants collaborated, bouncing ideas off a partner as they scoured the room for clues. If they seemed stuck, the Breakout representative monitoring their room offered clues to keep them moving forward.
What are the takeaways for participating students? If event reflection reports are any indication, they learned plenty.
“This experience taught me what it looks like to effectively problem solve, and do it in a way that honors others,” said one student.
Another added: “Participating in the escape room helped me connect with my peers because we celebrated the small wins as we found each clue.”
A third student shared what they learned about leadership: “This exercise helped me realize that leadership is not always being the loudest; it is also about making space for others to shine.”
As the hour wound down, the students in the Runaway Train room emerged victorious. After following a series of clues for 50 minutes and 57 seconds, they discovered a hidden key that allowed them to escape from the doomed railroad car.
