Breaking Out Creativity: Mastering Genially' s Digital Escape Rooms

Purpose & objective

Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how educators can leverage Genially, an interactive content creation platform, to create engaging and effective digital breakout rooms for educational purposes. The main objectives of this presentation are to empower participants to:

Understand the Concept of Digital Breakout Rooms:
Define what digital breakout rooms are and their significance in enhancing learning experiences.
Recognize the educational benefits of implementing breakout rooms.

Utilize Genially as a Tool for Creating Breakout Rooms:
Learn how to navigate and utilize Genially to design interactive and engaging content.
Understand the features and functionalities within Genially that support the creation of breakout room activities.

Design Interactive and Educational Breakout Room Activities:
Discover various instructional strategies and activity models that are effective in breakout rooms.
Apply these strategies to design tailored breakout room activities that align with learning objectives.

Overcome Educational Challenges and Infrastructure Limitations:
Identify potential challenges related to technology, student engagement, and accessibility.
Explore technology interventions and solutions to address these challenges effectively.

Assess and Improve Breakout Room Success:
Develop methods for assessing the effectiveness of breakout room activities.
Gain insights into gathering feedback from participants and making data-driven improvements.

The presenter will provide step-by-step guidance on accessing a free Genially account and its features. The presenter will also offer troubleshooting tips and support for common technical issues within Genially as well as with digital breakout rooms in general. Lastly, the presenter will be able to suggest alternative tools or platforms in case of infrastructure limitations at a district.

Models Employed:
Cooperative Learning Model: Designing breakout room activities that promote collaboration and peer-to-peer teaching.

Problem-Based Learning Model: Developing scenarios and challenges that require critical thinking and problem-solving.

Instructional Activities/Strategies Employed:
Guided Tutorials: Step-by-step instructions on using Genially.

Hands-on Practice: Interactive activities for participants to design their own breakout room content.

Discussion and Q&A: Encouragement of participant interaction and addressing of questions.

Evidence of Success:
Participant Feedback: Gathering feedback through surveys or discussions to assess the usefulness and effectiveness of the training.

Analysis of Breakout Room Activities: Evaluation through observation of the quality and impact of breakout room activities designed by participants.

By the end of this presentation, participants should be well-equipped to create engaging digital breakout rooms using Genially, overcome potential challenges, and enhance the overall learning experiences for their students.

Outline

Presentation Outline: Enhancing Learning Experiences with Digital Breakout Rooms using Genially

Total Time: 60 minutes

I. Introduction (5 minutes)
Welcome and brief introduction to the topic and objectives.

Explanation of the presentation structure and expectations.

Quick poll/questionnaire to gauge the audience's familiarity with Genially and digital breakout rooms.

II. Understanding Digital Breakout Rooms (10 minutes)
Definition and significance of digital breakout rooms in education and training.

Benefits and key learning outcomes associated with their use.
Real-world examples and success stories.

III. Genially: An Overview (5 minutes)
Introduction to Genially as an interactive content creation platform.

Highlighting key features and functionalities relevant to creating breakout room activities.

Quick live demonstration of Genially' s interface.

IV. Navigating Genially (10 minutes)
Step-by-step walkthrough of how to access and navigate Genially.

Explanation of dashboard components and menu options.

Live demonstration with audience participation to ensure understanding.

V. Designing Breakout Room Activities with Genially (15 minutes)
Introduction to instructional models for breakout rooms (Flipped Classroom, Cooperative Learning, Problem-Based Learning).

Explanation of the design process: from learning objectives to interactive content.

Hands-on activity: Participants begin to design a simple breakout room activity in small groups.

VI. Overcoming Educational Challenges and Infrastructure Limitations (5 minutes)
Identification of potential challenges (e.g., digital divide, technical issues).

Suggested technology interventions and alternative tools.
Brief Q&A session to address specific audience concerns.
VII. Assessment and Improvement of Breakout Room Success (5 minutes)

Overview of methods for assessing the effectiveness of breakout room activities.

Gathering feedback from participants and analyzing data.

Highlighting the importance of continuous improvement.

VIII. Case Studies and Success Stories (5 minutes)
Showcase real-world examples of educators/trainers successfully using Genially for breakout rooms
.
Discuss the impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.

Encourage audience discussion and questions.

IX. Conclusion and Next Steps (5 minutes)
Recap of key takeaways and actionable insights.

Emphasize the importance of experimentation and adaptation.

Provide resources for further learning and support (e.g., tutorials, communities).

X. Interactive Q&A and Discussion (5 minutes)
Open the floor for questions, comments, and sharing of experiences.

Encourage participants to connect and share contact information for continued collaboration.

Conclude with a closing thought or inspirational quote related to breakout rooms and Genially.

Throughout the presentation, engagement tactics will include:
Polls and Surveys: Interactive polls to gauge audience knowledge and opinions.

Live Demos: Demonstrations of Genially features with active audience participation.

Small Group Activities: Collaborative breakout sessions to design sample breakout room activities.

Discussion and Q&A: Opportunities for participants to ask questions and share experiences.

Encouragement of Participant Interaction: Encouraging participants to participate in discussions, share ideas, and connect with one another.

This structured approach ensures a balanced mix of content delivery, interactive activities, and audience engagement, maximizing the learning experience within the 60-minute time frame.

Supporting research

Alice Veldkamp, Liesbeth van de Grint, Marie-Christine P.J. Knippels, Wouter R. van Joolingen, Escape education: A systematic review on escape rooms in education, Educational Research Review, Volume 31, 2020, 100364,
ISSN 1747-938X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100364.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/D9G7XBXGQMY96CDTFJJK?target=10.1111/tct.13559

Makri A, Vlachopoulos D, Martina RA. Digital Escape Rooms as Innovative Pedagogical Tools in Education: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability. 2021; 13(8):4587. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084587

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9555328/

Sanchez Ruiz, L.M. & López-Alfonso, Salvador & Moll-López, Santiago & Moraño, José & Vega, Erika. (2022). Educational Digital Escape Rooms Footprint on Students’ Feelings: A Case Study within Aerospace Engineering. Information. 13. 478. 10.3390/info13100478.