Fostering Mathematical Proficiency in Higher Education Through Digital Escape Rooms: The ECO-WaterEnergy2Be Experience

Practice Paper Recommended citation: Dias Rasteiro, D. M. L., & Pinto, C. M. A. (2025). Fostering Mathematical Proficiency in Higher Education Through Digital Escape Rooms: The ECO-WaterEnergy2Be Experience. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Järvinen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53rd Annual Conference. European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Tampere, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631539. This Conference Paper is brought to you for open access by the 53rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) at Tampere University in Tampere, Finland. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. FOSTERING MATHEMATICAL PROFICIENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH DIGITAL ESCAPE ROOMS: THE ECOWATERENERGY2BE EXPERIENCE D. M. L. Dias Rasteiroa, 1 , C. M. A. Pintob a Polytechnic University of Coimbra (IPC/ISEC), Coimbra, Portugal, 0000-00021228-6072 b ISEP-School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal, 0000-00020729-1133 Conference Key Areas: Teaching mathematics in engineering education; Building the capacity and strengthening the educational competences of engineering educators Keywords: Digital Escape Rooms, Calculus, Mathematics Higher Education, GeoGebra ABSTRACT Digital escape rooms have emerged as an innovative pedagogical approach, effectively combining gamification, narrative elements, and mathematical problemsolving to enhance student engagement and understanding in higher education (Ortiz, 2016). This paper presents ECO-WaterEnergy2Be, an advanced digital escape room developed within the Erasmus+ project MATH-DIGGER. Targeted at first-year university students enrolled in mathematics courses, the initiative aims to foster awareness of sustainability, promote green construction principles, and support the development of calculus-based problem-solving skills. A distinctive feature of ECO-WaterEnergy2Be is the integration of GeoGebra software, which facilitates the design of interactive mathematical activities that promote active learning and deeper conceptual understanding. The study outlines the theoretical framework informing the escape room’s design, details its instructional content, and discusses its practical implementation in university settings. Furthermore, the paper examines educational outcomes based on preliminary pilot studies conducted within the established digital escape room framework. Initial findings indicate notable improvements in student motivation, comprehension, and appreciation of both environmental and mathematical dimensions of the tasks 1 Corresponding Author D. M. L. Dias Rasteiro [email protected] (Rasteiro, D. M. L. D. et al., 2025). These results underscore the potential of digital escape rooms to serve as engaging and effective pedagogical tools in advanced mathematics education. 1 INTRODUCTION The incorporation of interactive and innovative educational tools in higher mathematics instruction is a key element of modern pedagogical development (HernandezMartinez, 2024). Among these tools, digital escape rooms have emerged as highly effective platforms, merging gamification with mathematical rigor to significantly enhance student motivation and deepen conceptual understanding (Walters et al., 2018). Within this framework, the ECO-WaterEnergy2Be – Sustainable Design of University Students' Residences escape room was developed as part of the MATHDIGGER Erasmus+ project (MATH-DIGGER, 2022). This escape room immerses students in real-world sustainability challenges, focusing on green construction principles aligned with the European Green Deal Policies and the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals (2015). A central feature of the escape room is the active application of calculus and geometric principles, reinforced through dynamic visualizations and interactive tasks designed using GeoGebra. While engaging with the escape room, students apply and consolidate their prior knowledge in interpolation, integration, volume calculation, and curve length determination. Depending on the instructor’s preference, tasks can be completed either using GeoGebra or through traditional pen-and-paper methods. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the practical implementation of the digital escape room, outlining two key tasks and the student interactions necessary for their completion. Section 2 provides the contextual background and describes the practical activities involved. This is followed by Section 3, which details the educational implications and initial findings from the game's application. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion on key insights and directions for future research. 2 CONTEXT AND PRACTICAL WORK 2.1 Digital Escape Rooms and Mathematical Education Digital escape rooms are gamified, narrative-driven learning environments that engage participants in solving mathematical puzzles, either collaboratively or individually. This approach fosters experiential learning, facilitating both knowledge acquisition and consolidation (López-Pernas et al., 2019). Contemporary pedagogical research highlights their effectiveness in enhancing problem-solving skills, fostering collaboration, and increasing intrinsic motivation in higher education mathematics (Bhuttah et al., 2024, Magreñán et al, 2023). 2.2 ECO-WaterEnergy2Be: Concept and Storyline The narrative implemented within the escape room is designed to inspire hope, situating students in a post-catastrophe recovery scenario that underscores the urgent need for sustainable reconstruction. Students collaboratively engage in mathematical modeling and computational tasks to dimension and construct sustainable residences, water reservoirs, and wastewater systems. This context not only fosters cognitive engagement through mathematics but also raises awareness of environmental sustainability and the principles of the circular economy. The narrative is as follows. In the wake of a devastating bombing that destroyed their city, a group of determined students faces the formidable challenge of rebuilding from the ruins. With their homes destroyed and their future uncertain, they realize they must take matters into their own hands. Despite the scarcity of resources, they come together, driven by a shared sense of purpose and a desire to create something meaningful from the chaos. Their vision is of a new beginning - one that not only restores their city but also embraces sustainability and resilience. Their first task is to establish a place to call home. Using the MaxWhere laboratory as their temporary shelter, the students search the wreckage for materials to construct durable residences. Guided by their ingenuity and resolve, they transform debris into dwellings, each a testament to their resilience and resourcefulness. However, the students' ambition extends beyond mere survival. Aware of the importance of sustainable living in a world ravaged by destruction, they aim to incorporate ecofriendly elements into their new community. They install water collection systems to harvest rainwater, ensuring a steady supply for drinking and sanitation, and recycle wastewater, minimizing waste and conserving valuable resources. Solar panels are placed on rooftops, harnessing the power of the sun to provide energy for their growing settlement. With each panel, hope is rekindled, casting light on the darkness that once enveloped their city. It becomes a symbol of resilience, a beacon of progress shining brightly against the backdrop of devastation. As their community takes shape, so does their unity and sense of purpose. Despite their hardships, the students work tirelessly, their hands blistered, and spirits tested, but never once wavering in their determination. Together, they are not merely building homes but a place of hope. As the sun sets over their makeshift city, casting golden shadows across their humble abodes, the students celebrate together—proud, resilient, and ready to confront whatever challenges lie ahead. For in the face of destruction, they discovered not only despair but also the strength to rebuild, brick by brick, forging a future imbued with hope. The MATH-DIGGER project (MATH-DIGGER, 2022), funded by the Erasmus+ initiative, seeks to promote innovative digital solutions for mathematics education at the university level. Specifically, the MaxWhere environment contributes by providing immersive 3D virtual spaces ideal for complex, interactive educational tasks. The 3D environment plays a pivotal role in the integration of storytelling, mathematical rigor, and interactive problem-solving within the ECO-WaterEnergy2Be experience. 2.3 Practical Work The digital escape room is structured into an introductory phase followed by a series of mathematical challenges distributed across different rooms. During the introductory phase, students are immersed in the narrative, familiarising themselves with the themes of destruction and resilience. They navigate the MaxWhere immersive environment, where they gain a deeper understanding of the context of sustainable reconstruction. The primary objective of the game is for students to progress through the various rooms and floors, ultimately reaching the rooftop, where a celebratory gathering awaits them. To achieve this, students must design a residential complex that includes water reservoirs and wastewater management systems, applying key sustainability concepts with a particular focus on water recycling and energy efficiency. The game is carefully designed to facilitate students' understanding of core calculus concepts, including interpolation, integration, and derivatives. Calculations may be carried out using traditional methods, such as pen and paper, a calculator, or any available software tools, either independently or in combination. For the purposes of this paper, all calculations will be presented using GeoGebra, as it is one of the developer partners of the MATH-DIGGER project. Fig. 1. All spaces of the Escape Room During the escape room experience, students are granted three attempts to progress from one room to the next until they reach the final room, where the aforementioned celebratory event takes place. Hints are provided in each room to assist students; however, the use of hints and unsuccessful attempts will negatively affect their final scores. The GeoGebra software is strategically utilised to create interactive visualisations and enable dynamic presentations of mathematical tasks. Below are two examples of the tasks presented to the students. Example (Determining the Volume of a Sustainable Residence): Fig. 2. Room 1 Students' Tasks In the example depicted in Fig. 2, students are tasked with calculating the volume of a residence, visualising the problem within GeoGebra. Using four points (either selected by the student or predetermined), the player must complete the following tasks: • Determine the coefficients of a quadratic function that interpolates the external shape of the building using points B, C, and D. Once the coefficients are calculated, the player can verify their accuracy by entering the values (rounded to two decimal places) and clicking the "Check Coefficients" button. If the coefficients turn green, the player has entered the correct values and may proceed. • Calculate the building's volume. It is important to note that the building consists of a cylinder and a 3D object formed by the rotation of the previously determined interpolated curve. After obtaining the volume in dm³, the player must round the value to the nearest whole number and enter it in the volume value box. Upon clicking the "Verify Volume" button, if the inserted volume turns green, the player will know that the value is correct. Example 2 (Bridge Length Calculation): Fig. 3. Bridge Length Tasks In the example presented in Fig. 3, students are tasked with determining the length of a bridge between two buildings. To accomplish this, they must: • Determine the coefficients of the parabola that approximates the bridge's contour, rounding the coefficient values to three decimal places. • Calculate the length of the bridge curve, measured in kilometres, from the "Begin" to the "End" points. GeoGebra supports students’ conceptual understanding of calculus by enabling dynamic visualisation of how modifications to mathematical objects, such as points, curves, or functions, affect related values. In the context of the escape room, students utilise GeoGebra’s built-in tools to compute derivatives and integrals, and to solve equations relevant to the problem scenarios. These are preliminary findings, though we incorporate student feedback below, which suggests increased confidence in applying calculus techniques and a heightened interest in sustainability themes. Although further empirical validation is necessary, these initial qualitative insights point to the escape room's pedagogical value in enhancing engagement and conceptual understanding. 3 EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS AND INITIAL FINDINGS Pilot studies conducted with a prior digital escape room, also developed within the framework of the MATH-DIGGER project, have yielded several noteworthy educational outcomes: • Enhanced student engagement, as reflected in increased persistence in task completion and more effective collaborative interactions; • Improved conceptual understanding in key areas, including calculus, geometry, and foundational principles of sustainability; • More positive attitudes toward mathematics, accompanied by a heightened awareness of environmental sustainability issues. Feedback from students: • Student 1: “The ER#1 game effectively highlighted the relevance of sustainability and solar energy, promoting an educational, interactive, and innovative approach. Throughout the tasks carried out within the digital escape room, it became evident that Mathematics and Physics play essential roles in understanding and applying concepts related to energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. The practical activities not only reinforced the application of theoretical knowledge but also encouraged critical reflection on global issues concerning the construction of a more sustainable future.” • Student 2: “The application of tools such as GeoGebra and the graphing calculator enabled the work to be conducted with precision, thereby demonstrating how digital resources can facilitate the resolution of complex problems. By integrating mathematical calculations, graphical analyses, and sustainable practices, the project illustrated the feasibility of employing active teaching methodologies to raise student awareness on critical issues such as sustainability”. • Student 3: “The ER#1 is an engaging methodology that fosters critical thinking, effective integration of environmental and mathematical themes, and development of digital skills and problem-solving abilities”. These findings provide initial evidence of the educational potential of digital escape rooms to support both cognitive and affective learning outcomes in mathematics education (Rasteiro, D. M. L. D. et al., 2025). The ECO-WaterEnergy2Be escape room seeks to further validate these findings, with a focus on fostering a comprehensive understanding and practical application of calculus within the context of sustainability. 4 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS Digital escape rooms, exemplified by ECO-WaterEnergy2Be, constitute innovative pedagogical instruments with demonstrated potential to enhance mathematics education at the tertiary level. By integrating mathematical rigour, sustainabilityoriented content, and immersive digital technologies, such as those offered by MaxWhere and GeoGebra, these environments significantly enrich the learning experience, fostering heightened student engagement and sustained interest. Such interactive platforms not only render abstract mathematical concepts more accessible and concrete but also encourage collaborative problem-solving, thereby cultivating critical thinking skills and reinforcing the applicability of mathematics to realworld challenges, particularly those related to sustainability. To further advance the field, future implementations should focus on large-scale validation studies and comparative research to evaluate the effectiveness of digital escape rooms in enhancing students’ mathematical reasoning, motivation, and longterm knowledge retention. Moreover, extending this approach to encompass a broader range of mathematical topics or interdisciplinary contexts could amplify its educational impact, supporting more transformative shifts in teaching and learning practices. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All authors would like to thank the MATH-DIGGER Erasmus project – MATHematics DIGital Escape Rooms, No. 2021-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000032234. 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