Half of UK teachers are now turning to video games to keep school pupils engaged with online learning during lockdown, new research shows.
The survey run by Censuswide – reveals that with many classrooms shut and school trips cancelled, 49% of UK teachers have looked to gaming to boost interaction in their lessons.
According to the survey commissioned by G2A.COM, 88% of teachers who currently use gaming as an educational tool say it has helped them better engage with students – with games now being used across a wide range of subjects, from maths and physics to English literature.
Key findings include:
- 63% of teachers say that the introduction of virtual learning has changed education forever
- 74% of UK teachers are concerned about the way they can engage students in a remote environment
- 86% of teachers who have used gaming in class say it has already been beneficial for student’s engagement with subjects
- 47% of those who don’t currently use gaming as an educational tool would like to try this method
- 50% don’t currently use gaming as an educational tool because they don’t know how to
- 59% of them claim that they would feel more comfortable doing so if they received formal training
- 64% of teachers believe their students would be more likely to do their homework if gaming was involved
- 62% of teachers believe that gaming will have important role as a resource in the future of education
The findings come as G2A.COM today launches its new teacher-training course – G2A Academy: Video Games in Education – on Udemy, the world’s largest platform for learning and teaching online. The course is divided into three sections that unpack the techniques teachers can use to effectively introduce gaming into their classes.
- Unit 1: “Why you should use video games in education and how” focuses on the benefits of videogames. Why do we play games? What are the most common misconceptions around gaming? What is gaming’s true value today?
- Unit 2: “How to use video games to teach humanities” tells the tale of how gaming can bring humanities subjects to life. How can games be a time capsule of historical information? Or a literary paradise of Shakespearian dialogue?
- Unit 3: “How to use video games to teach STEM subjects” unearths the magic of using gaming for subjects like maths, science, physics and more. How can we bring mathematic formulas into the world of gaming? Which scientific theories lie behind character physics?
G2A Academy was authored by Dr. Szymon Makuch and Dr. Adam Flamma, two up-and-coming gaming academics currently teaching at the University of Lower Silesia in Wrocław, Poland. Accompanying each unit, they have developed a series of sample exercises and interactive materials – with example gaming titles that can be used – to assist the teacher on their gaming journey.
The full course is free-to-access for all teachers. Any teacher that would like to access the course simply has to visit www.g2a.co/academy and follow the instructions. Any non-teachers wishing to access the course will have to pay a fee, with G2A donating all profits to digital exclusion charities.
Bartosz Skwarczek, CEO and co-founder of G2A.COM said:
“Young people around the world are facing the biggest crisis in education in living memory. Teachers are having to completely rethink their approach to schooling and find new ways to keep students engaged and motivated. Video games – and the transferrable skills they offer – are a vital tool in bringing online learning to life and we want to do everything we can to help unlock those benefits for teachers and young people. The G2A Academy equips teachers with the techniques, resources and confidence to incorporate gaming into lessons and help safeguard the education of the Covid generation.”
Dr. Szymon Makuch, a co-creator of the course and academic at the University of Lower Silesia, added:
“Myself and Adam are delighted to be able to collaborate with G2A to bring this course to life. We both actively use gaming as a teaching resource and have seen first-hand the benefits it can bring to the classroom. The true power of gaming has yet to be realised in society, and we believe that education is the perfect platform to show it’s worth. We look forward to seeing how teachers adopt the G2A Academy teachings to effectively bring gaming into their classes.”
G2A Academy is available in English, with subtitled versions in more languages coming soon. For more information, please visit: www.g2a.co/academy
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