2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Design and Evaluation of an Educational Escape Room to Teach Quality Management in Engineering Education

Presented at Teaching Practices and Course Design

This empirical full paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an escape room activity developed to teach quality management concepts in engineering education. Concentration, engagement, and participation among engineering students have become increasingly difficult to sustain in classroom settings (Rodeghiero Neto & Amaral, 2024). Active learning strategies have been gradually introduced into engineering education, as they not only foster student engagement but also promote more enduring and applicable knowledge (Lima et al., 2020). Among the various existing strategies, escape rooms stand out as innovative strategies capable of stimulating problem-solving and critical thinking through interactive and collaborative challenges (Magreñán et al., 2023).
The objective of this research was to develop, apply, and assess an escape room game designed to teach quality management concepts in engineering courses. Following the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology (Lacerda et al., 2013), the study involved six main stages: (i) problem identification; (ii) definition of expected outcomes; (iii) design and development; (iv) demonstration; (v) evaluation; and (vi) communication. DSR enables the systematic development and evaluation of creative educational artifacts capable of addressing practical issues while also contributing theoretically to the field.
The escape room aimed to develop both technical and transversal competencies revelant to the teaching of the DMAIC method by engaging students as managers of a fictional energy drink business that was experiencing production challenges due to damaged cans. Following its creation, the activity was executed in two in-person classrooms of an undergraduate industrial engineering program at a prominent Brazilian university, involving a total of 43 students. At the conclusion of the session, students completed a prepared questionnaire to convey their thoughts on the experience. Furthermore, observational data gathered by the instructor enabled a descriptive and interpretive examination of participants’ engagement, collaboration, learning outcomes, and areas for growth.
The findings indicated a high level of student engagement, as reflected by the development of transversal competences like communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Participants also noticed a positive correlation between the concepts covered throughout the semester and the challenges faced in the escape room. Quantitatively, 93% of respondents rated the experience positively, indicating that the Escape room was beneficial for their learning.
The design and implementation of escape rooms as a didactic strategy for engineering education yielded positive results, promoting active, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning. Furthermore, observations and feedback suggested minor adjustments, such as refining clues and reward systems. Future research will concentrate on assessing the specific professional competencies and skills developed through this educational strategy.

Authors

Prof. Christine Tessele Nodari http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2480-7170 Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul [biography]

Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and recipient of a CNPq Research Productivity Fellowship (Category C), with expertise in Transportation Engineering and Road Safety. She holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (1992), an M.Sc. (1996), and a Ph.D. (2003) in Production Engineering from UFRGS, including a study period at the University of British Columbia (Canada). Her work focuses primarily on road safety, active mobility, and engineering education. She has been dedicated to promoting the internationalization of research and academic training through partnerships and collaborative projects with foreign institutions. Currently, she serves as Associate Thematic Coordinator for the Education in Transportation area of ANPET — the National Association for Research and Education in Transport — and as Deputy Coordinator of the Undergraduate Committee of the Department of Production and Transportation Engineering (DEPROT) at UFRGS. Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous university extension projects focused on traffic safety and sustainable transport, aiming to integrate academia with society and local needs.
Maria Auxiliadora Cannarozzo Tinoco Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul [biography]

Maria A. Cannarozzo Tinoco is a professor in Industrial Engineering Program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Brazil. She currently coordinates the Institutional Modernization Proposal for the modernization of the Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Program, managed by the School of Engineering at UFRGS, under the Graduation Modernization Program (PMG) promoted by CAPES (Brazilian funding agency) and the Fulbright Commission since 2019.
Italo Rodeghiero Neto Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul [biography]

Post doctoral researcher in Industrial Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. Temporary professor at the same university. Doctor and Master of Industrial Engineering from UFRGS (2020). His research mainly spans engineering education, ergonomics, human factors, and accessibility.
Paula Kvitko de Moura Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul [biography]

Paula Kvitko de Moura, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Industrial Engineering at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, and a Deep Tech Specialist at the UFRGS Science and Technology Park. She also serves as a Professor and as an Analyst in the Undergraduate Modernization Program, where she supports pedagogical innovation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic development across the School of Engineering. Her research focuses on innovation ecosystems, startup innovation, digital transformation, and active learning in engineering education. She is also an International Research Partner at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), collaborating on initiatives related to innovation and technology-driven education.
Kelly Cristina Ferreira Dias Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul [biography]

Kelly Cristina Ferreira Dias is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial Engineering at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. Her research focuses on competency-based education, technology foresight, and digital transformation in engineering education. She has experience in innovation management and applied research in collaboration with industry, working on projects related to educational technology, data analytics, and strategic intelligence. Kelly is also involved in initiatives that connect academia and industry to promote continuous improvement and the development of adaptive learning ecosystems.

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