Accompsett Social Studies Students “Breakout” into Game Theory
Accompsett Middle School students broke free of traditional learning methods yesterday. On Monday, January 9th, social studies students introduced Game Theory into the classroom, with Breakout EDU. The class split up into groups, used facts learned during social studies class, digital and physical clues and the Breakout EDU toolkit, to unlock a gaming box.
The Middle School students were given Breakout EDU boxes containing six variations of locks, invisible ink, UV Flashlight, flash drive and hint cards. Working in groups, the students were tasked with troubleshooting using teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking to solve each clue in order to unlock the box in 35 minutes or less. During each timed session, students solved both physical and online puzzles, scanning the QR codes with iPads that were hidden throughout the library. Additional clues were disguised on physical documents with invisible ink to add to the fun.
This new genre of scavenger hunt incorporates conflict and cooperation between teammates to solve a puzzle, win a prize or teach a lesson via fun activity. Game theory has been at the root of many successful businesses including economics, computer application and even Military strategy. Many progressive teachers and Education platforms are beginning to introduce the concept into the curriculum. Breakout EDU has created a productive method to introduce the “Escape Room” Game Theory into the K-12 classroom.