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The first escape room for school classes has opened in Lucerne. There is a research project behind this. A visit.
What is it about? An escape room for secondary school classes is opening in the Sonnenberg civil defense facility in Lucerne. By solving puzzles, the students should deepen their knowledge of computer science – as required in Curriculum 21. Logic and teamwork are also required. The escape room is open two days a week, one Registration its a must. Participation is free for school classes.
What is the idea of the escape room? It is based on a research project at the Schwyz University of Education. The project with the full name “Computer Science Educational Escape Room” is intended to provide information about how well Curriculum 21 is being implemented in the subject of media and computer science. “I needed an environment in which the students didn’t feel tested,” says project manager Mareen Grillenberger. “That’s where an escape room comes in handy.” Another goal of the project is to get school classes excited about computer science.
How does the escape room work? The students solve six different tasks in groups. For example, they have to decipher Morse code or program a robot. They are watched by a so-called “game master” who gives hints if they get stuck. The students have a good hour to play the entire game.
Legend:
Students from a secondary school class in Kriens are looking for clues to solve the escape room puzzles.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
Are there any initial findings? When observing the first school classes, they noticed that it is not that easy to draw exact conclusions. This is what project manager Mareen Grillenberger says. “When students fail a puzzle, it remains unclear why.” It could be due to a faulty puzzle or because the school class has not yet covered the relevant topics. Or because they are so nervous that they cannot apply what they have learned.
Legend:
At the end of the 20th century, the facility would have offered space for around 20,000 people. The Sonnenberg Tunnel itself would have been part of the civil defense system. Here you can see civil protection officers during an exercise in 1987.
Keystone/Archive
What’s the deal with the place? The Sonnenberg civil defense facility is one of the largest in the world. It was built on the outskirts of the city of Lucerne in the 1970s for around 20,000 people. At the time, this cost around 40 million francs. A good 20 years ago, the authorities dismantled and rebuilt the facility. Today it still offers space for almost 2,000 people seeking protection. The escape room will remain there indefinitely. Requirement: In emergencies it must be evacuated within 48 hours.