Inspired by the escape room phenomenon, in which players work together to solve a series of puzzles using clues and strategy to complete objectives, a breakout box is a self-contained box with combination lock solutions that are attached to specific puzzles, questions or tasks. In a classroom setting, students work in small teams to complete content objectives and gain practice with the “4Cs” skills: critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. An inexpensive breakout box can be constructed from any container (e.g. tool box, plastic bin) and locking option (alphanumeric, combination, etc.) and tasks can be modified for any content area, class size and time frame making it a dynamic, challenging and infinitely adaptable tool. My undergraduate students in Ecological Assessment Methods (UNLV ENV 360, Spring 2018), a course for science majors from varied academic programs, worked collaboratively on a set of breakout box questions inspired by Binghamton University’s “Overcoming Eco-misconceptions” as an introductory exercise to explore frequently misunderstood concepts in Ecology.
Results/Conclusions
Results from pre-and post-test assessment indicate a gain in understanding of these concepts (ranging from population ecology to landscape-scale concepts), primarily as a function of collaborative peer discussion. Those students without recent academic experience in ecology showed the largest gains. The “code breaking” aspect of a breakout box also serves as a metaphor for the endeavoring and complex problem-solving nature of science, including the concepts of evidence, inference and multiple methods. These ideas provided for further classroom discussion surrounding the consideration of ecology as a multidisciplinary scientific endeavor.