Escape from the usual: Development and implementation of an 'escape room' activity to assess team dynamics

Background and purpose: Today's pharmacists must be "team-ready." While team-based learning is ubiquitous in pharmacy education, little data exists for fostering team-building skills in healthcare education. This study evaluates the effect of an escape room-themed team-building exercise on pharmacy student experiences and perceptions of working in teams using StrengthsFinder 2.0 as a framework. Educational activity and setting: Second and third professional year pharmacy students were divided into teams of four to five. Each team competed in a puzzle-based simulated "escape room". Students completed pre- and post-surveys regarding perceptions of working in teams and team dynamics after reviewing their StrengthsFinder 2.0 results. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a related-samples McNemar test for statistical significance. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were analyzed to determine common themes among student answers. Findings: Of the 137 enrolled students, 127 participated in the activity and surveys. Sixty percent of teams successfully completed the activity on time. All but one statement ("I am an integral member of the team") showed a statistically significant increase in those strongly agreeing or agreeing pre- to post-exercise. The largest shift was seen for the statement "I enjoy working in a team environment". Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed that students felt harnessing their individual talents made the teams stronger. Summary: This exercise positively impacted student perceptions of working in teams. Further research should determine the effect of pre-requisite team-building exercises on team-based learning outcomes.