Supporting first-year chemistry undergraduates in data analysis through a gamified Excel escape room
Supporting first-year chemistry undergraduates in data analysis through a gamified Excel escape room
Excel proficiency is a critical tool in undergraduate chemistry education, yet many students lack confidence in performing essential data handling and analysis tasks. To address student apprehension and encourage engagement with the software, this work reports the development of an Excel-based escape room. The activity is built entirely within the Excel environment, utilizing conditional formatting and password-protected sheets to create a self-contained, interactive learning experience without the need for external software or funding. The activity was trialed with a cohort of first-year undergraduate chemistry students. Participants reported positive shifts in their perception of Excel, noting increased confidence and a greater willingness to apply the software for complex tasks following the intervention. While direct skill acquisition requires longitudinal study, survey data suggests that gamifying the Excel environment can effectively lower the perceived barrier to entry for hesitant students. By embedding skill development within an exploratory framework, this model offers a scalable, adaptable tool for introducing digital literacy in the chemical sciences.
Analytical Chemistry, Computer-based learning, Escape Room, Excel, First-year undergraduate, Gamified Learning, Laboratory Computing, Laboratory Computing/Interfacing, First-Year Undergraduate, Computer-Based Learning
1116-1123
Perry, Sam C.
8e204d86-4a9c-4a5d-9932-cf470174648e
10 February 2026
Perry, Sam C.
8e204d86-4a9c-4a5d-9932-cf470174648e
Perry, Sam C.
(2026)
Supporting first-year chemistry undergraduates in data analysis through a gamified Excel escape room.
Journal of Chemical Education, 103 (2), .
(doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01679).
Abstract
Excel proficiency is a critical tool in undergraduate chemistry education, yet many students lack confidence in performing essential data handling and analysis tasks. To address student apprehension and encourage engagement with the software, this work reports the development of an Excel-based escape room. The activity is built entirely within the Excel environment, utilizing conditional formatting and password-protected sheets to create a self-contained, interactive learning experience without the need for external software or funding. The activity was trialed with a cohort of first-year undergraduate chemistry students. Participants reported positive shifts in their perception of Excel, noting increased confidence and a greater willingness to apply the software for complex tasks following the intervention. While direct skill acquisition requires longitudinal study, survey data suggests that gamifying the Excel environment can effectively lower the perceived barrier to entry for hesitant students. By embedding skill development within an exploratory framework, this model offers a scalable, adaptable tool for introducing digital literacy in the chemical sciences.
Text
supporting-first-year-chemistry-undergraduates-in-data-analysis-through-a-gamified-excel-escape-room
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 13 January 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 January 2026
Published date: 10 February 2026
Keywords:
Analytical Chemistry, Computer-based learning, Escape Room, Excel, First-year undergraduate, Gamified Learning, Laboratory Computing, Laboratory Computing/Interfacing, First-Year Undergraduate, Computer-Based Learning
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 510088
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510088
ISSN: 0021-9584
PURE UUID: 6285d88a-fa12-40d9-91d1-a923d1e57e17
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 17 Mar 2026 17:38
Last modified: 18 Mar 2026 02:56
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Sam C. Perry
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics