There’s a New Student Athlete in Town

E-SPORTS in Education

As an educator with a classroom wired full of desktops, my saving grace is a program that blocks students from using websites enabling students to play video games. If I caught one more student trying to play Fortnite, I was going to lose it! Like using social media in the classroom to create educational connections and positive contributing digital citizens, I planted another seed of an idea in our CTE department and asked the question, “What if we use a student’s love for video games as an educational tool instead?”. My intention is to create an electronic sports, Esports, team and use its educational advantages to help students learn, build communicative and team building skills, as well as strengthen their reflexes, visual acuity, and mental focus.

The New Student Athlete

Esports may not be played on a field, court, or timed on a track, but make no mistake, Esports is a competition rooted in technology that helps develop discipline, build sportsmanship, and raise self esteem. The greatest part about this sport is its inclusivity and diversity. There is no prototypical athlete as any student can be a part of this team. Students with special educational needs or physical disabilities can compete on the virtual playing field.

Shut It Down

With Esports still being relatively new, there are detractors. Parents and teachers alike still do not know enough about electronic gaming in education, resulting in a numerous amount of misconceptions, such as believing video games do not play a positive role and are irrelevant in education purpose. Many believe it is a distraction for other learning methods with no real work experience coming from playing video games. School districts may believe that they do not have the facilities to accommodate and that equipment is too expensive.

Plugging In

Pressing the “Start” button on this could be tough, but there are resources available. PlayVS and high school esports league are websites providing information on starting a team. After getting approval from administration, there are only a few steps to take:

1. Sign up through a league website

2. Connect with your IT Dept.

3. Create your infrastructure and space

4. Build your program through recruitment

5. Start gaming!

Once you have your team set up, connecting with the community for support can make a big difference in growing your base, possibly even helping other schools in your area create their teams for more competition.

The Next Level

Esports helps students hone digital skills for a constant evolving world of integrated technology. Competitive gaming tournaments provide financial benefits and scholarships for opportunities to further your education. Universities have created programs to help students further their knowledge and careers in the gaming industry as well.

Bonus Rounds

Bringing electronic sports into education can help in other areas as well. Through building connections students can create a deeper engagement that will transcend into the classroom. Students will gain a deeper knowledge of STEM concepts to help further their interest in higher education.