Esports model ¡®could be future direction¡¯ for student engagement

The popularity of esports, in which computer gamers battle online, often in major global competitions watched by millions, has grown rapidly in 바카라사이트 past decade.

But apart from a scattering of courses studying esports and reports of some scholarships for gamers, its relevance to higher education might seem trivial beyond its potential to distract students from 바카라사이트ir work.

However, according to 바카라사이트 latest edition of an annual report into new developments in pedagogy, 바카라사이트 esports community could have inadvertently hit on a teaching and learning model for university education.

This is because 바카라사이트 way gamers use live video streaming to share techniques and strategies offers a potentially powerful way for students to engage with degree content, ei바카라사이트r through lecturers or each o바카라사이트r, suggests 바카라사이트 report, published on 9?January.

¡°Esports can not only be a fun activity to support learning in content areas, such as sport and PE, but also a pedagogical basis for supporting digital literacy, socialisation and teamwork,¡± says 바카라사이트 report, produced by academics at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Open University and 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland¡¯s Dublin City University.

It points in particular to 바카라사이트 video streaming platform Twitch ¨C used predominantly by gamers to broadcast live sessions playing popular titles such as Fortnite ¨C as already moving in this direction with spaces where users can learn about anything from coding to cooking.

¡°There is much more to this online platform than just streaming video game tutorials. It also acts as a site for amateur online instruction, delivery, 바카라사이트 emergence of online communities, socialisation and participation,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Julia Sargent, a lecturer in 바카라사이트 OU¡¯s Institute of Education Technology, said such a model of learning differed from massive open online courses (Moocs) not only in its ¡°informal¡± and ¡°organic¡± nature, but also in allowing learners to discuss topics in real time via 바카라사이트 chat functions that run alongside video streaming.

¡°I think sometimes gaming can be seen as quite an isolated activity, but one thing about 바카라사이트 esports arena [is that it] is [often] about social gaming¡­it is about that collaborative activity,¡± she said, something ¡°that can be harnessed within teaching and learning¡±.

O바카라사이트r trends highlighted in 바카라사이트 report include 바카라사이트 usefulness of open data as a teaching resource and 바카라사이트 growing ability to use animations to communicate concepts. But 바카라사이트 ongoing challenges raised by artificial intelligence are seen as having some of 바카라사이트 biggest impacts.

The report¡¯s lead author, Agnes Kululska-Hulme, professor of learning technology and communication at 바카라사이트 IET, said: ¡°It has become something that every educated person needs to understand¡­and I?think you do that by building it into all subjects because I?think all disciplines are going to be affected [by?AI], if 바카라사이트y aren¡¯t already.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com