Xbox has announced a series of educational podcasts aimed to boost young people's learning through gaming.
Xbox has announced a series of educational podcasts aimed to boost young people's learning through gaming
The company has partnered with Digital Schoolhouse - delivered by the UK games industry trade body Ukie - to release ‘Beyond Xbox: Field Trips’, a number of educational audio teaching journeys that aim to improve children’s focus, creativity and problem-solving skills through playing Xbox games.
In a statement, Director of Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education at Ukie Shahneila Saeed said: “We’re very excited to be supporting such an original and unique programme, using games to develop the skills of young people.
“I can't wait to see how these audio learning journeys are implemented in our Digital Schoolhouse network over the coming months, and the impact that they will have.”
Ollie Bray, co-author of the European Games in Schools Handbook, who was involved in the development of the programme, added: “There is increasing evidence to suggest that play is one of the most powerful ways to learn.
“These interactive ‘Field Trips’ allow young people to immerse themselves in both popular and culturally relevant video games while developing important skills and exploring a variety of learning outcomes.
“The project provides a unique take on experimental learning.”
In total, there are seven different titles with audio learning journeys that can be accessed via Xbox Game Pass - ‘Grounded,’ ‘Sea of Thieves’, ‘Minecraft’, ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’, ‘PowerWash Simulator’, ‘Age of Empires IV’ and ‘Cities: Skylines’.
Each audio learning journey is available on Spotify and prompts players to undertake a series of challenges to help develop important soft skills.
They can also be accessed as visual guides on Xbox.com to cater to different learning styles and make them more accessible.
The Beyond Xbox: Field Trips campaign video showcases three families from across the UK using the learning experiences while playing some of Xbox’s most popular titles.