Be safe and escape the labA learning experience focused on laboratory safety rules and hazardous waste management

Abstract

In recent years, educational models have transformed to adapt to the new context of the knowledge society, such as the renewed EU agenda for higher education. The main challenge is to achieve quality education, through the improvement of teaching and learning strategy. For that purpose, novel education strategies have been developed to complement traditional lecturing.Game-based learning (GBL) is an innovative active learning tool designed to increase the motivation and to boost learning outcomes, as it encourages students' imagination and problem-solving abilities. An attractive method to implement GBL is an educational thematic escape room, a leisure activity that has recently become very popular among young people. Several research works have been published related to the use of escape rooms in a wide range of disciplines. This kind of activity uses competitiveness in games to develop interests and to promote cooperative learning from an enjoyable and entertaining perspective. Consequently, it is an interesting tool for subjects or tasks that could be tedious, boring or difficult to understand.With that in mind, this work presents the design and preliminary results of an escape room focused on laboratory safety rules and management of hazardous waste (Escape Lab). Both topics are often not valued enough by our students: they are not aware of the importance of safety and environmental sustainability in the laboratory, and most of them never read provided guidelines.The experience was performed in the Faculty of Engineering Vitoria-Gasteiz of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in the frame of the course Chemical Fundamentals of Engineering. This is a 1st year course with laboratory practicals, taught in 3 Bachelor degrees in Industrial Engineering. The main objective of this GBL activity was to favor a better knowledge of the essentials of health and safety rules in the laboratory (general rules, housekeeping safety rules, dress code safety rules, personal protection safety rules, chemical safety rules), as well as of the correct management of the hazardous wastes generated during the completion of the laboratory practicals.The 50 % of the enrolled students were selected to carry out this activity for comparative purpose. These students got a team briefing about the theme and the first clue before they entered the laboratory. Then, the Escape Lab involved the resolution of several consecutive clues, questionnaires, and tasks that allowed the students to open a series of locked elements (a box and an envelope) to eventually solve the final puzzle and win. According to the selected themes, the first three tasks were related to health and safety guidelines, and included the identification of basic personal protection safety rules, the acting in a “real” dangerous situation in the laboratory, and solving a questionnaire, which led students to the next clue. The following activities, regarding hazardous waste management, involved labeling a container for hazardous waste storage, solving a questionnaire and identifying GHS pictograms.The effectiveness of the activity on the acquisition of the essential knowledge regarding health/safety in the laboratory and hazardous waste management was evaluated using an questionnaire and interviews that allowed students to provide feedback on the experience. The first results indicated that students were highly engaged and motivated, and that they were inspired to learn in order to win.