Integrating Generative AI into Escape Room-Based Learning: Effects on Nursing Students’ Clinical Skills, Flow Experience, and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The This study investigates the impact of integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into escape room-based learning on nursing students’ clinical skills, flow experience, and self-efficacy. While escape rooms have proven effective in promoting collaboration and critical thinking in nursing education, their linear structure may limit personalized support. Conversely, GenAI tools such as ChatGPT offer adaptive feedback and individualized guidance but lack the immersive engagement of game-based learning. To address this, we designed a quasi-experimental study involving 47 first-year nursing students from a university in Taiwan. Participants were assigned to either an experimental group (AI-assisted escape room) or a control group (video-based learning). Over four weeks, both groups engaged in sessions focused on breastfeeding skills, with pre- and post-intervention assessments administered using validated instruments. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in clinical performance, self-efficacy, and flow experience for the AI-assisted group compared to the control. These findings suggest that combining GenAI with escape room strategies creates a synergistic learning environment that enhances both cognitive and affective outcomes in nursing education. The study highlights the potential of AI-supported Escape Room learning to foster student-centered, competency-driven instructional models.