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How To Create an Escape Room Lesson Part 2: Learning Content in an Educational Escape Room
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How To Create an Escape Room Lesson Part 1: The Components of an Educational Escape Room
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Educational Escape Rooms: Using Play To Boost Learning
Fun to be Smart
Learning should be fun. Learning should make you smart.
It’s fun to be smart.
WHO
Learning should be fun.
Hi, my name is Marcus. I’ve been an educator since 2005.
Curriculum Development
I’m primarily a learning designer. I’ve developed learning materials for diverse fields, from language learning to Pilates to GenAI.
My philosophy is to make the curriculum fun, so the learning will stick. My speciality is in educational escape rooms – any topic can be converted to that!
Facilitation & Training
To design curriculum, you must know how to teach with the learning materials. I’ve facilitated for ages 7 to 81, from Primary 1 students to senior executives, from physical studios to online learning platforms.
As with curriculum – my philosophy is that fun lessons means greater retention of the material.
Consultancy
Tap into my experience working with learning centres large and small, from young students to adult learners, from teacher training to centre strategy.
More importantly – learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to make them!
GAMIFIED LEARNING
Educational Escape Games
I’ve developed, run, and supported educational escape games for an array of clients such as libraries, universities, corporate trainers, and educators.
These escape games are portable, pen-and-paper puzzles and can be run in any indoor setting like meeting rooms and conference centres. Depending on availability, they can include interactive elements such as cards, blue light pens, and combination locks as well!
“Thanks to Marcus, we were able to bring our Escape Room concept to life — turning abstract ideas into a well-crafted script that engaged, educated, and inspired adult educators during the event.” – Dr Mak Wai Keong, Founder & Generative AI Consultant, Edtrix Solutions
Here is an escape game session I co-developed and ran.
artificial intelligence workshops
Maximising Productivity with GenAI
AI is for everyone. I specialise in helping learners develop fundamental skills in AI and identifying their own usage and habits, which is translatable to different models and contexts.
“Marcus was prepared and has showed us the way to navigate the AI platform to give us the best value with maximum results. Our agency has learned a great deal with him to enhance our journey.” – Patrick Koh, Financial Services Director, Great Eastern Life
Teacher Training Programmes
Train-the-Trainer
Teacher training programmes are core for any learning centre that wants to develop a pool of good trainers. These train-the-trainer programmes also usually end up modelling how to teach learners, which means the educational impact is outsized, affecting the culture of teaching.
“During the pandemic, Marcus became an anchor for many of our teachers. The sudden switch to online teaching was stressful for everyone, but he patiently guided colleagues, helped troubleshoot problems, and shared tips on new digital tools. What I appreciated most was his empathy, which through this period was extended beyond students to include his colleagues.” – Adrian Kuek, Dean, Joyous Learning
Here are some of the more unique teacher training programmes I developed.
WHat
Educational Services
Fun to be Smart is a learning design company..
Gamified Learning
The best type of corporate training is an adventure – with a time limit. I’ve crafted escape game lessons that help learners learn important concepts without ever realising they were in a lesson (because they’re having too much fun playing a game). Best of all – they remember the content long after the escape room session.
Teacher Training Programmes
Good teacher training programmes, or train-the-trainer type programmes, are the foundation for any school to have good educators.
I’ve developed teacher training programmes for those who teach young learners and adult learners, across areas such as sports, language learning, and technology.
Training & Facilitation
Having taught in a variety of settings since 2005, I’m a seasoned trainer in multiple areas, for different age groups, and for different class sizes.
I’m highly conversant with writing-related lessons – which means training sessions that involve turning in written assignments.
Artificial Intelligence Workshops
Everyone says artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is important – which is true. It’s about taking this huge scary thing, embracing it, and realising that we still have autonomy, we still have the control, and that the future of this planet is in our hands. My GenAI experience is with marketing, sports, education, narratives, financial consulting, and writing.
Copywriting Masterclasses
Want to start your own business? You’ll need to write blogs, social media posts, articles, create content – basically, copywriting. Copywriting is not just invaluable, it’s also fun. And once you can hack it through my classes, you’ll find lots of applications for personal life too.
SkillsFuture Accreditation
With a DDDLP, I know what are the onerous requirements to create WSQ courses that qualifies for SkillsFuture funding. I’ve also developed curriculum for a wide variety of subject matters, ranging from information technology to health and fitness.
Testimonials
Here’s what clients have said.
No cap.
Deep Understanding & Creativity
Marcus is a dependable and insightful team member with an exceptional gift for storytelling. His writing and explanations consistently reflect deep understanding, creativity, and an infectious enthusiasm that energizes those around him.
Thanks to Marcus, we were able to bring our Escape Room concept to life — turning abstract ideas into a well-crafted script that engaged, educated, and inspired adult educators during the event.
I would recommend Marcus if you are looking for a reliable, articulate, and imaginative professional who can turn ideas into meaningful experiences through the power of storytelling and collaboration.
Blends Expertise & Dependability
Marcus is one of those rare collaborators who seamlessly blends expertise, creativity, and dependability. From the very beginning, he has been an anchor of reliability – consistently delivering thoughtful, high-quality work with both depth and clarity. His ability to take complex concepts in positive psychology and counselling and translate them into accessible, engaging learning materials has had a lasting impact on our curriculum.
Thanks to Marcus, we were able to develop and refine our WSQ programmes with greater precision, alignment, and purpose. His insights have helped shape our approach to curriculum design, ensuring that every element is not only academically sound but also meaningful and relevant to learners.
Beyond his professional excellence, Marcus brings warmth and creativity to every project. He’s fun to work with, open to new ideas, and has an exceptional knack for spotting opportunities to make learning both rigorous and inspiring.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Marcus to anyone looking for a collaborator who is deeply knowledgeable, exceptionally reliable, and capable of bringing ideas to life with insight, structure, and creativity.
Nicole Glisson
Head of Positive Psychology
Director of Academic Affairs
The School of Positive Psychology
Fun & Reliable Collaborator
I worked with Marcus to design and facilitate educational escape room sessions for a variety of clients.
Throughout the process, Marcus has been a reliable collaborator. His creativity has breathed uniqueness, zest, and engagement into the educational escape rooms, thus creating a memorable and fun experience for clients. His ability to write and explain the concepts well has provided tremendous value to the project, as the clients also take away critical learning points from the project.
I would highly recommend Marcus if you are looking for a fun and reliable collaborator to work with, who is able to both ideate in diverse ways as well as to execute the project with an eye on meaningful experiences and concrete learning objectives.
Dr Eunice Lim
Adult Educator, SkillsFuture Fellow, Google for Education Certified Innovator
RE Training & Consultancy
Private Consultation
Private Consultation Rates
Need help?
Learning & Development Consultant
Having developed curriculum for all age groups (from young learners to adults), across a wide variety of fields (media to artificial intelligence), I’ve learn that bespoke and customised learning materials work best for your learners.
Let me know how I can help your corporate training needs or learning requirements.
WSQ & SkillsFuture Consultant
I’ve developed curriculum for SkillsFuture-accredited courses and helped ATOs meet the stringent standards of the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) [previously Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA)]
As a DDDLP holder, I develop course proposals and help with WSQ course accreditation (CA).
Gamification of Learning Expert
Want to transform your curriculum into an exciting educational escape game? Or do you want to add gamification elements to increase motivation for your learners?
Studies have shown that gamification increases intrinsic motivation and enhances retention. A gamified curriculum is an effective curriculum.
Rate: $300
per hour
Retainer packages are also available. With a package, you also get on-demand access to me for any concerns that might pop up.
Resources and Articles
Fun resources to peruse while commuting to your next lesson.
Fun to be Smart 