Using a Moodle-Based Digital Escape Room to Train Competent EMI Lecturers and Instructors in a Multilingual Environment

Professional development for teachers in English medium instruction (EMI) universities is challenging in a multilingual and multicultural environment. This chapter introduces a case study using a digital escape room, a game-based instructional resource that aims to support interactive teacher education in a Sino-British EMI university, namely, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). XJTLU has adopted, as a guiding educational philosophy, HeXie, a pedagogical model that integrates aspects of eastern and western cultures. In accordance with this model, in a postgraduate certificate programme (PGCert) offered to all EMI lecturers and instructors, the digital escape room has been designed to introduce trainees to the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) using H5P through the Moodle-based learning management system.

H5P is an open-source emerging learning technology that has been integrated with Moodle since 2017 (see https://h5p.org/). It provides quick and easy interactive quizzes, presentations, and visualised knowledge test games to enrich learner engagement in the hybrid learning environment (Wehling J et al, BMC Med Educ 21(1):351, 2021). Mainly, H5P allows designers to create seamless, user-friendly online interfaces for learning. Since its launch, more than 18 million users have registered on the H5P community website, and more than 700 organisations have used H5P to create easier and quicker online interactions (Magro J, J Med Libr Assoc 109(2):351–354, 2021).

First, we discuss the benefits of using the digital escape room to motivate lecturers and instructors’ intercultural communication and self-directed learning in EMI teacher education. Next, we discuss the general challenges and difficulties of integrating the digital escape room solution in curriculum design, instructional development, technological deployment, synchronous and asynchronous learning activity creation, teaching delivery and assessment support in a hybrid learning environment. Educators and practitioners can benefit from critical reflections, recommended good practices, and tips for future development.