Search results

In this study, we assessed the educational value and efficacy of a virtual educational escape room (VEER), called “The Mysterious Disappearance”, for training pre-service teachers.

“The Mysterious Disappearance” was developed ad hoc and contains various activities and puzzles focussing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research will evaluate the design quality and satisfaction of 193 participants regarding the VEER, their perceptions of game-based learning (GBL) and analyse which soft skills are most used and which valence typology (positive/pleasant or negative/unpleasant emotions) has the greatest impact on players’ experience. Descriptive, exploratory factor and inferential analyses are employed.

The study indicates that the VEER is rated very positively by pre-service teachers. Overall satisfaction levels are high, and the resource and methodology are perceived as favourable. The design quality of the resource is also well rated, with participants perceiving it as a challenging but engaging and well-balanced. Participation in the VEER shows several benefits, especially in cognitive and motivational areas. The participants demonstrated high levels of soft skills utilisation. The resource elicits predominantly positive and pleasurable emotions. Finally, there is a positive perception towards GBL among pre-service teachers, both as students and future teachers.

This study employs a multivariate analysis, using a questionnaire comprising three scales. This study’s dual focus on participants’ perceptions, as current Students and Future teachers, provides insights into their potential role as designers/implementers. Findings contribute to the ongoing development of academic hypotheses, particularly by highlighting the increased motivation linked to VEER use and its positive impact on learning. Designed with the SDG framework, the game enhances teachers' engagement with the 2030 Agenda, supporting their professional development and promotes values related to sustainability. The VEER was developed ad hoc by one of the authors, and the study has potential implications for numerous fields and areas of research.

The purpose of this paper is to link public relations to peacebuilding. Although scholarship has discussed public relations as relationship management, the nexus between public relations and peace building has been understudied. To address this deficiency, this research studies the negotiations between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP separatist group that lead to the landmark peace treaty between the two entities that had fought for over five decades with thousands of deaths. Three research questions addressed the communication factors that contributed to the two sworn enemies – FARC-EP and the Colombian Government – finally sealing a peace agreement; the specific public relations strategies and techniques that led to relationship building between the two sides leading to the landmark peace agreement; and the use of the indicators of relationship building proposed by scholarship in the negotiations between the Colombian Government and FARC-EP.

The case study method was used and a purposive sample of news reports from three national newspapers at specific key dates yielding a final sample consisted of 504 articles was analysed. A codebook with deductive and inductive categories was developed specially to study the existing communication factors (RQ1), public relations strategies and techniques (RQ2), as well as contributions by relationship indicators (RQ3). Given the sensitivity of the issues, only secondary data could be relied upon for this study.

The results of RQ1 fall within the scope of Grunig’s (2001), Sriramesh’s (1992) and Hung’s (2001) notion of the personal influence model where the leveraging of individuals’ network is important to facilitate communication. Indeed, the relations already existing and established with third parties are revealed to be fundamental to the success of the negotiation process. As for RQ2, findings demonstrate that the Colombian Government used third-party mediation, principled and distributive strategies, while FARC-EP mainly used contending strategies. But results showed that both used compromising during the whole process, and that both transitioned from one-way asymmetrical strategies, such as principled or contending towards compromising along the peace talks. Finally, findings demonstrate evidence of the four indicators of the relationship and their link with public relations techniques. The most evidenced indicators of the relationship were trust, commitment and control mutuality. Trust was the indicator of the relationship the most evidenced in the Colombian case. The dimension was built during the whole process and evolved continually. Distrust was the total between the two enemies at the beginning of the pre-negotiation. However, as parties entered into a relationship, confidence and trust increased.

The inability to obtain primary data is the major limitation of this study. It was caused by the sensitivity of the topic.

This study links public relations to a very practical case that is also vastly understudied/underreported – peacemaking/peacebuilding – while also addressing communication by governments and civil society in Latin America – an area that is largely understudied.

This is the first study that links public relations with peacebuilding.