escape game, chemistry, didactics

The period associated with the Covid-19 pandemic required the search for new teaching methods and forms. Computer-based teaching in the broadest possible sense has become a major challenge. One of the options is specialized commercial tutorials, various applications or web interfaces. Recently, computer games have also come to the fore as a support tool for education. In this paper we deal with the use of such a virtual computer game in teaching science subjects. The game created by us called Coal Stone includes elements of the so-called escape game. Its principle is to solve a sufficient number of tasks, so that the player then receives points (diamonds), clues or codes to "escape" from the room. The game has an interdisciplinary character, it includes the subjects of chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. Help is available to players in the form of virtual books (textbooks). To increase the attractiveness and motivation, the whole game is connected by a fictional story, where the player helps the "good" side against the ecological and economic problems of humanity. The game also has another common denominator, and that is the chemical element carbon, which permeates the game. Students gradually go through the rooms that cover the chemistry of primary school with an overlap into other sciences. Nine rooms contain tasks to solve, the tenth room is a bonus, for a reward. In the rooms (Mixtures, Laboratory, Laws, Gases, Movement, Redox processes, Energy, Equilibrium, Macromolecules) students solve various types of tasks, such as virtual construction of apparatus, chemical calculations, completion of parts of the text, solving crossword puzzles (octagons), ciphers, regrouping, etc. In addition, as one of the key elements is the implementation of a problem task, which is necessary to "escape" from the room. From a technical point of view, the escape game is built on the Moodle platform, which allows you to operationally modify the game and evaluate the results.