In the last decade, game-based learning has received growing attention in educational contexts in general and science education in particular. A recent game trend, which has also found its way into STEM classrooms, is escape rooms. In this type of game, players have to work through several puzzles to achieve a specific goal (mostly to escape from an actual room). We conducted a systematic literature review to find out whether the “market” for such games is already saturated or if there is still potential for further development. After searching the common databases (ERIC, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, as well as the German database FIS Bildung), we analyzed 93 journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers in English and German from the following domains: chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, computer science, general science (interdisciplinary), environmental science, and medicine. We selected the ones that targeted a specific educational level (primary, secondary or tertiary education) and were designed for formal educational settings. It transpired that there is a need for more easily adaptable escape rooms as well as for more empirical evidence on their actual effects.

This paper describes a case study on the chemistry behind natural cosmetics in five chemistry learning groups (grades 7–11, age range 13–17) in a German comprehensive school. The lesson plan intends to promote critical media literacy in the chemistry classroom and specifically emphasizes learning with and about advertising. The lessons of four lesson periods encompass several strategies for evaluating and creating advertising. Evaluation was carried out using a questionnaire with both open-ended and Likert-type questions. Classroom observation protocols were also analyzed. The lesson plan proved to be very motivating and it initiated intense discussion about chemistry and science-related information in advertising. The findings of this study indicate that the lessons triggered self-reflection on students' consumer behavior. Most of the younger pupils saw advertising as a suitable and important topic for the science classroom. More advanced students tended to regard such issues as an interesting, but in some cases an unnecessary, part of their science education. Findings from the different groups are compared. Future research directions are also considered.

Readers of the journal Education Sciences probably agree that playing games comes naturally—we all know how to play some game—however, because of the complexity of gaming, it is almost exclusively limited to mammals with regard to all animals: almost 80% of mammals use some sort of game for learning

As the world becomes increasingly complex, students must learn how to critically evaluate media messages and facts. Young people often obtain information from social media. Due to the ease with which information can be spread through such media, science misinformation is more prevalent. Learning how to critically evaluate information is expected to develop students’ abilities to critically evaluate science and media content. Group discussions were conducted with 33 secondary school students in northern Germany to examine (1) their experiences with social media in the (science) classroom, (2) their strategies for dealing with science-based information in the media, and (3) their perception of the role of social media in the science classroom. Qualitative coding revealed that students frequently use social media for information purposes, both in school and privately, and perceive social media as relevant to science education. In social media, they are successful at applying general media literacy and IT strategies, but struggle with science-related strategies. This study suggests that more opportunities should be provided for students to critique science information, and a greater focus should be placed on educating students about evaluation skills and scientific reasoning.