*Latest news*

A report, outlining the context, objectives, methods, findings and key messages arising from the Teaching with Games project, is now available, as well as some practical guidance for educators interested in using games for learning.

Read Teaching with Games report and guidance for educators


What is Teaching with Games?

Teaching with Games is a year-long project supported by Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Take-Two, as well as the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), investigating the place of mainstream commercial computer games in the classroom. The project aims to provide practical and informed evidence of the implications and potential of the use of these games in school, and an informed strategy for future educational development requirements, based upon collaborative discussions between industry and the education community.

Much has been written about the potential of games as digital learning tools, and many commentators have drawn attention to those aspects of commercial computer games that theorists suggest might be useful in learning. These discussions tend to concentrate on the use of games outside a formal learning environment - yet there are increasing numbers of educators who are already using these games in their teaching practice. Despite this, little research exists on the practical barriers to using these games, or the positive impact they may have. The Teaching with Games project aims to extend our understanding of the ways in which commercial games might be implemented in a formal educational setting.

Researchers from Futurelab will be working closely with teachers from four schools in the UK to extend their understandings of the titles selected, and to identify learning opportunities within the games. The games will be used, in conjunction with supporting materials developed by the teachers, over a term in January 2006, and the findings from this use will be published in August 2006.

These findings will be contextualised by a nationwide study, carried out in association with the polling organisation MORI, investigating teachers' and students' attitudes towards computer games in and out of the classroom.

The project is overseen by an Advisory Board, comprised of representatives from Electronic Arts, DtI, DfES, the Interactive Software Federation of Europe, Becta, QCA, Cambridge Assessment, University of Bristol and the IT-University of Copenhagen. The role of the board is to act as critical friends to the project and to disseminate the project's findings to relevant audiences.


How to contact us

If you're interested in finding out more about the project, please e-mail teachingwithgames@futurelab.org.uk.


Press details

Read press releases related to this project:
Computer games in schools: new survey reveals what students want - 13 July 2006
Close to 60% of UK teachers want computer games in the classroom - 13 January 2006
EA launches computer games study with Futurelab - 9 August 2005

Read online press coverage of this project

For press enquiries, please contact Lacia Ashman on 0117 915 8222.


About the partners

Futurelab

Futurelab pioneers ways of using new technologies to enrich and transform the learning experience. A not-for-profit organisation, it acts as a catalyst by creating productive partnerships between people with creative talent, technical know-how and educational expertise.

Futurelab's activities enable it to act as a think-tank that nurtures new ideas; both as an incubator and tester of early-stage concepts, and as a hub of information and knowledge between practitioners, policy makers, creators and learners.

Teaching with Games is part of Futurelab's learning research programme which evaluates the impact of innovation on learning and teaching, and publishes the learning outcomes of new educational prototypes and processes.





Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (EA) (NASDAQ: ERTS), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2005, EA posted revenues of $3.1 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the internet at info.ea.com.



www.ea.com



Microsoft

Microsoft is a leading developer of software for schools, colleges and universities. It also shares the commitment of the education sector to help everyone realise their full potential. Through its technology, education programmes and curriculum materials, Microsoft helps learners and educators get the full benefit of the use of IT in education.



www.microsoft.com/uk/education



Take-Two

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc (Nasdaq: TTWO) is a global publisher and developer of entertainment software and accessories. Through its Rockstar Games, 2K and 2K Sports publishing labels Take-Two's published brands include Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, Midnight Club, Sid Meier's Civilization, Prey, Stronghold, Major League Baseball 2K, NBA 2K, NHL 2K, Top Spin, among others. The Company also manufactures video game accessories through its Joytech subsidiary and has sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands), Auckland, Shanghai and Tokyo.



www.take2games.com



ISFE

ISFE (the Interactive Software Federation of Europe) was established in 1998 to represent the interests of the interactive software sector vis-à-vis the EU and international institutions. Initially founded by the national interactive software trade associations in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, ISFE was enlarged in January 2002 to include any company representing the industry, based in the 25 Member States plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Most major publishers of the interactive software industry have now joined ISFE (see full list on website).



www.isfe-eu.org