Escape Rooms and the Work of Play for action in the age of technology: a study on the didactic perceptions of students at the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria.

Abstract

This paper explores the pedagogical relationship between play, work, and learning, from Montessori’s notion that “play is the child’s work” to contemporary approaches of gamification and digital didactics. It reinterprets play as an essential component of cognitive, social, and emotional development, overcoming the traditional opposition between otium and negotium. Building on Biesta’s concept of “learnification,” the study situates the renewed educational value of play in the context of digital transformation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A qualitative study involving 300 pre-service primary and kindergarten teachers at the University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria investigated perceptions and practices through the design of digital Escape Rooms (ERs). Using platforms such as Genially, Canva, and PowerPoint, students created gamified learning units based on backward design and social constructivism, promoting collaboration, creativity, and self-assessment. The findings, interpreted through the frameworks of Volterrani (2021) and Vizzari (2022), highlight how gamification and educational ERs foster motivation, cooperation, and reflective learning. Playful, game-based methodologies thus emerge as powerful tools for experiential and value-centered education in contemporary digital teaching.