Using an Escape Room to Develop Collaborative Skills in Criminology Students: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study

Group-based assessments in criminology education are frequently undermined by communication breakdowns and uneven contribution. Educational escape rooms support teamwork and problem-solving, yet evidence rarely examines performance in assessed group work. This quasi-experimental mixed-methods study evaluated whether a curriculum-aligned murder mystery escape room improved collaborative performance in subsequent assessed group work. Participants were 79 undergraduate criminology students (intervention n = 33, comparison n = 46) from an Australian university. Following group presentations delivered 7–8 wk post-intervention, students completed peer assessments across five collaboration dimensions. Mixed-design ANOVAs revealed significant intervention effects on overall collaboration and four specific dimensions: Quality, Contribution, Interaction, and Keeping on Track, with large effect sizes. Knowledge showed minimal improvement. Survey data indicated very high perceived impact on teamwork and communication, aligning with behavioral improvements. Findings demonstrate that a brief, discipline-aligned escape room supports collaborative process skills that transfer to assessed group work, offering a scalable early-semester intervention.