"Hack the hacker": the first virtual-classroom escape game!

12/02/2019

The Cegos and Live Session teams have been working together for many years to offer effective virtual classrooms. In their constant quest for innovation, the idea of merging an escape game and a virtual classroom soon emerged as the perfect challenge for inventing a brand-new learning activity!

The combination of a fun, popular activity and a training method where distance is not a problem takes learning engineering to a whole new level.The result was the first virtual escape game. The goal is to introduce participants to the basics of project management.

A time-constrained assignment

A virtual escape game brings out the trainees' self-reliance, creative thinking and team-working skills. Together they have to solve a series of puzzles or riddles that will help them accomplish (or not) their assignment.They are then left to their own devices, under the benevolent eye of the Riddler, who guides and assists them in their progress. As in any escape game, the participants decide how they want to go about the task. Their assignment revealed, they go through successive phases of exploration, searching for clues, puzzles to solve, and little by little fulfil the main assignment.This self-reliance is what makes the experience such a powerful learning tool. But will it occur to the group to get organised?

Debriefing to drive home the lessons learnt

This first virtual escape game was designed as a three-step learning capsule:

An introductory phase to present the programme and check that everyone has the necessary technical grounding;
The actual game;
The debriefing session, guided by the trainer who monitored the participants throughout the game, to consolidate what they have learnt.

This capsule can work as a stand-alone unit or be delivered prior to a training programme. The intensity of this training sequence will create positive group dynamics and lay a solid groundwork for the remainder of the programme.Further reading: Virtual classrooms: a digital version of classroom training and an alternative to e-learning?

A learning structure applicable to other subjects

This innovative project, co-created with a lot of enjoyment and enthusiasm by the Cegos and Live Session teams, is a resounding success! The initial participants described the game phase as totally immersive and a very positive experience.What's more, the way this escape game on Project management is designed makes it easy to adapt to other themes and address other training goals, such as:

Acquiring the keys to effective teamwork;
Learning the corporate value system during a newcomer induction programme;
Holding a kick-off/team-building meeting with an off-site team;
Get your team members interested in virtual classroom learning;
Kick off a transformation project without gathering the teams at the same location.

Will you dare take up the challenge?