"Escape the Classroom: Contamination Busters" is an outreach project run by the Cranfield Water Science Institute and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering's under the Ingenious programme.
The project aims to educate and engage school pupils with water engineering to illustrate how fundamental science concepts are applied day-to-day by water utilities to provide vital services to populations through a scenario-based, problem-solving learning experience. One of the project’s outcomes is a virtual escape room experience with a water engineering theme.
Our virtual escape room “Contamination Crisis” is a timed challenge consisting of a series of 10 water science and chemistry-based puzzles to fix a city’s water supply to avoid everyone drinking contaminated water. You have 45 minutes - see if you can fix the city’s water supply in time!
Learn more about "Escape the Classroom: Contamination Busters"
The Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious projects are developing new and creative ways to engage the public – whether student, family, or adult-audiences – with engineering. With their Escape the Classroom: Contamination Busters, Cranfield University was one of 22 schemes to be awarded funding in 2019 to engage school pupils with water engineering.
The concept behind Escape the Classroom: Contamination Busters was to enthuse school-age children about science and engineering by allowing them to engage in a mobile escape room experience with a water engineering theme, alongside water engineering themed activities delivered in fun way and innovative way in schools using purposely designed water chemistry kits.
Following the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak, and the subsequent lockdown of education institutions and restrictions on public gathering, school events were no longer possible. In that context, the team adapted their project delivery through the design of a virtual escape room, and further development of their Water chemistry kits, the so-called Waterboxes to carry on engaging with school pupils in a COVID- secure way, with provision of stimulating STEM activities despite national lockdowns.
The Waterbox contains 14 chemistry experiments to better understand water science and the basics principles behind water treatment. Designed for KS3 students, the experiments proposed can be performed at home and require only basic household ingredients. As such, the set-up, materials and substances used have been selected so the students can perform the experiments in the safest possible way outside of a typical science classroom. These boxes can be used at home or in different classrooms, and each student can use their own to maintain social distancing. The team put together 250 Waterboxes, and delivered 50 each to five local schools.
The virtual escape room concept developed by the Cranfield Water institute was designed by the Cranfield Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Team. Based on the same principles as the project mobile escape room, the virtual escape room “Contamination Crisis” is a timed challenge consisting of a series of 10 water science and chemistry-based puzzles to fix a city’s water supply and avoid everyone drinking contaminated water. It allows students to test their water engineering skills in a new and exciting way.
About Ingenious
Ingenious is the Royal Academy of Engineering's public engagement grants scheme for creative public engagement with engineering projects. The scheme is supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
About the Royal Academy of Engineering
As the UK's national academy for engineering, The Royal Academy of Engineering bring together the most successful and talented engineers for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering. We provide analysis and policy support to promote the UK's role as a great place to do business. We take a lead on engineering education and we invest in the UK's world-class research base to underpin innovation. We work to improve public awareness and understanding of engineering. We are a national academy with a global outlook. We have four strategic challenges: Drive faster and more balanced economic growth; foster better education and skills; lead the profession; promote engineering at the heart of society.
