THE ESCAPE HAMLET: TEACHING SHAKESPEARE AND KEY COMPETENCES THROUGH GAMIFICATION
Vol.12, Issue 1, 2026, pp. 93-112 Full text: PDF . HTML
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.26.1.7
Web of Science: [WOS=]
Authors:
1 Georgi Niagolov https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9497-0451
2 Darya Lazarenko https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3253-4678
3 Snezhina Petrova https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5523-8345
Affiliation: 1,2,3 New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria 002qhr126
Contributor roles:
Project Administration, Investigation, Writing – original draft: N.G. (lead);
Investigation, Writing – review and editing: D.L. (lead);
Conceptualization: S.P. (lead).
Abstract
The article presents the design and outcomes of an educational experiment conducted at New Bulgarian University, in which Escape Hamlet, a gamified learning activity based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet, was developed and implemented. The experiment explores the possibility to design an educational activity that successfully combines three objectives: serious engagement with a literary text, work on the key competences for lifelong learning, and student engagement through gamification. The article first outlines the educational context of teaching Shakespeare in Bulgaria and discusses the relevance of competence-based learning. It then explains the rationale for applying gamification and describes the process of designing the game. Based on observations of playthroughs it analyzes how participants interact with the puzzles and reflect on the learning effects of the activity. The article finds that combining subject-based learning with competence-based learning is both feasible and beneficial, and that gamification has significant potential to (re)engage students with learning. The full script of the game is provided in an appendix to encourage further adaptation and use in educational contexts.
Keywords: education, pedagogy, Shakespeare, key competences, gamification
Article history:
Submitted: 26 March 2026
Reviewed: 15 April 2026
Accepted: 02 May 2026
Published: 20 June 2026
Citation (APA):
Niagolov, G., Lazarenko, D., Petrova, S. (2026). The escape Hamlet: Teaching Shakespeare and key competences through gamification. English Studies at NBU, 12(1), 93-112. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.26.1.7
Supplement: https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.26.1.7-sup
Copyright © 2026 Georgi Niagolov, Darya Lazarenko, Snezhina Petrova
This is an Open Access article published and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Review:
1. Reviewer's name: Name undisclosed
Review Content: Undisclosed
Review Verified on Publons
2. Reviewer's name: Name Undisclosed
Review Content: Undisclosed
Review Verified on Publons
Handling Editor: Stan Bogdanov, New Bulgarian University
Verified Editor Record on Publons