APPLICATION OF DIGITAL ESCAPE ROOMS IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY EDUCATION: STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES

The concept of using Escape Rooms (ERs) in chemistry education enables students to apply their knowledge in a practical context, develop collaborative skills, and learn in an enjoyable and engaging way. This study aims to design a digital escape classroom for chemistry teaching and gather feedback from students on its implementation. This paper presents an example of a digital ER designed for first year high school students (ages 14-15), focusing on the topic of Atomic Structure. The ER was implemented during the 2023-2024 school year. Student feedback was collected using the The Students' Opinion on the Application of ER for Learning Chemistry (SOAER), which comprises five subscales: Previous Experience in Participating in ERs (PE), Impact of ERs on Motivation for Learning Chemistry (IML), Teamwork and Collaboration in ERs (TWC), Opinion on Tasks Included in ERs (OT), and Technical Challenges in Using Digital ERs (TC). The study sample consisted of 70 first-year high school students in Serbia. The results revealed that students generally held a positive perception of the use of ERs in general chemistry classes, particularly valuing the teamwork and active engagement the activity promoted. Additionally, the ER fostered the development of communication, tolerance, and collaboration skills.