Evaluation of an online systematic review escape room for early career clinicians and doctoral students

Paul Cannon; Tracey McKee

doi:10.5195/jmla.2025.2167

Authors

Paul Cannon University of Glasgow https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8721-1481
Tracey McKee NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7792-5296

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2025.2167

Keywords:

Escape Rooms, Active Learning, Systematic Review, Research Students, search skills

Abstract

Background: Systematic reviews are increasingly appearing in doctoral theses and being supported by librarians. There is, however, evidence that students struggle to undertake systematic reviews.

Case Presentation: We sought to understand the perspectives of, and confidence utilising systematic review search methods following an online escape room teaching intervention as part of our in-person orientation session for Doctorate in Clinical Psychology trainees. Following the session, trainees were invited to participate in an online survey to which we received a 90% response rate (n=35). The escape room was enjoyed by most trainees with many using the words “fun” and “engaging” to describe the intervention, this despite more participants finding the escape room difficult. The average scores for confidence in utilising search syntax were positive, but there was a wide range of scores. Many of the comments that trainees made centred on time pressure to escape. We believe that allowing the trainees more time would increase their enjoyment of the game and aid their learning.

Conclusion: Our systematic review escape room demonstrates that key methodological concepts and search skills can be taught in an active, fun, and engaging way that helps introduce and scaffold learning for latter in-depth teaching.

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Evaluation of an online systematic review escape room for early career clinicians and doctoral students

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