Reviving Grammar: Interactive Video Game Engages Pupils in Eichstätt
German Studies Students Take On Grammar Via Unusual Escape Room
Many German Studies students, especially at the start of their studies, struggle with their grasp of grammar. Faced with this challenge, professors at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) have devised an out-of-the-box solution: an immersive escape room game dubbed "The Grimm Language Labyrinth."
Filling in Grammar Gaps
Professors have observed a common pattern among students: a lack or weak foundation in school grammar. To equip these future German teachers, they initially assess each student’s knowledge, followed by an online self-learning course from University of Passau. A tutorial session, led by mentors like Anna Fiona Weiß, academic advisor at the department of German as a Second Language (DaZ) / German as a Foreign Language (DaF), then helps strengthen understanding and tackle doubts.
Weiß describes the aim as, "With the joy that the escape game brings, we want to turn a negative association with grammar for our students into a positive one."
Experience and Excitement
The escape room game revolves around a lost manuscript by Jakob Grimm, featuring a series of riddles and clues to solve. Participants delve into historical materials like letters, works, and recipes to uncover the mystery, with helper cards providing assistance if needed. With the support of KU Teaching Lab, the game is professionally designed to boost engagement and maximize learning outcomes.
"Our desire is to show our students that language education can be fun, breaking away from the negative viewpoints often associated with grammar," says Weiß. Her colleague, Kerstin Dierolf, adds, "This isn't just a training session, but rather an opportunity to apply what they've learned through an enjoyable experience."
The Hunt for the Grimms
In the "Grimm World," teams navigate a series of puzzles, using historical materials to decode a message that finally leads them to the lost manuscript. The game was premiered at the end of the winter semester 2024/2025, and received feedback for being too challenging initially. Following an evaluation, modifications have been made, with the revised version set to debut at the close of the summer semester.
The developers envision the escape room becoming available for other universities, planning to publish a scientific report on its effectiveness and providing a downloadable version for wider access. Additionally, they consider adapting the game for schools to incorporate it into their language learning curriculum. Amelie Filand, a school teacher in Hesse, is part of the team, ensuring the project maintains educational relevance from the start.
Exploring the Benefits
Digital escape rooms, like the "Fairly Tales: Grimm" ELA Reading Digital Escape Room, play a role in educational settings by facilitating engaging, immersive experiences to enhance comprehension of literary elements, cultural contexts, and language nuances. If applied conveniently at KU, "The Grimm Language Labyrinth" could offer similar benefits:
- Engaging Learning Experience: The game offers an interactive and memorable way to learn grammar while drawing from the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales, promoting better retention.
- Cultural Insight: Engagement with historical materials deepens understanding of the cultural context surrounding the Grimms and German literature.
- Teamwork and Problem-Solving: Escape rooms require teamwork and problem-solving, fostering valuable skills for any learning environment.
- In their efforts to turn a negative association with grammar into a positive one, professors at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt have devised an educational-and-self-development approach called "The Grimm Language Labyrinth," an immersive escape room game that combines learning with an exciting experience.
- As part of their language education program, students engage in learning through an enjoyable experience such as the "Grimm Language Labyrinth" escape room, where they not only fill in grammar gaps, but also gain cultural insight and develop teamwork and problem-solving skills.
