2552. Using a Digital Escape Room as a Framework for Deliberate Practice of ID Fundamentals

BACKGROUND: Deliberate practice is defined as engagement in structured activities created specifically to improve performance in a domain. Deliberate practice is achieved when the following three conditions are met: (1) The student is motivated to practice and exert effort to improve performance, (2) The task takes into account the preexisting knowledge of the learner so the task can be correctly understood after a brief period of instruction, and (3) The learners are given immediate and informative feedback on performance. A digital escape room meets all the conditions for deliberate practice as well as creating a collaborative learning experience. METHODS: Eight puzzles and corresponding digital locks were created using Google Forms and implemented in an infectious diseases (ID) elective offered to third year pharmacy students. The content for escape room puzzles included clinical microbiology, antimicrobial spectrum and pharmacology. Facilitator and classroom logistical data were collected. Student satisfaction was assessed for through an online anonymous survey. RESULTS: 20 small groups received a handout that contained learning objectives, rules, a Google Form link, escape room plot, 8 unique puzzles, and three hint tokens. 3 of 23 (13%) groups completed all 8 puzzles within 2 hours. Groups used 24 of 60 (40%) available hint tokens. The satisfaction survey was completed by 54 students, a 79% response rate. 93% of students indicated they were more engaged with thinking about the content than a typical classroom experience. 68% disagreed that the escape room framework made it difficult to focus on learning due to feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Constructive feedback themes were increasing clarity of puzzle directions and code nuances. Positive feedback themes were related to engagement, collaboration with peers, and variety of puzzles. CONCLUSION: The escape room framework provides an engaging opportunity for the deliberate practice of ID fundamentals, a task student often find to be tedious. Using digital instead of physical locks allows the escape room to be deployed in a large classroom setting with one or two facilitators. Since Google Forms provides immediate and informative feedback, the role of the facilitator is respond to hint tokens and remediate the material with students. DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.