The Esports Movement - STEAM Gamification

Are you ready to level up your impact in the community and become a champion for education? Score big and lead the charge by implementing esport programs that learners will be eager to compete in! By tapping into the power of competitive gaming, you can help learners unlock their full potential and level up their skills, all while having a blast.

With esports, learners not only meet all their academic requirements, but they’ll also be engaged in a way that will leave them craving more. Esports uses gamification to teach social emotional learning (SEL), career and technical education (CTE) and other transferable life skills in a format that resonates with today’s learners. It's the ultimate learning experience that combines excitement, education and inspiration all in one.

As part of PCS Edventures' ESPORTS program, 6th-12th graders learn the skills they need for success. Ideal for groups of 16, 20 or 24 learners, this program comes with a live, virtual instructor that makes implementing competitive gameplay easy. The best part – no gaming experience is required! With lessons that teach social-emotional skills that reach far beyond the gaming chair, any learner can feel empowered to take part in activities.

Keep reading to see why esports is the ultimate game changer, revolutionizing your summer program and turning it into an unforgettable adventure.

What Are Esports and Why Should Educators Care?

If you haven’t already heard of esports, get your head in the game! Learners everywhere are swapping their game balls for gaming controllers and helmets for headsets. But this rising phenomenon isn’t just for your traditional athletes. While simulated physical sports are included, team strategy games and cooperative gameplay (co-op) are more commonplace.

Now recognized as a sanctioned extracurricular activity in many high schools, there is no doubt that esports are here to stay. Even the Olympic Games are getting in on the action, hosting a live, in-person final at the first-ever Olympic Esports Week for professional gaming (International Olympic Committee, 2023). You can’t level up much higher than that!

With 68+ hours of hands-on learning, our ESPORTS program mirrors the inclusive, collaborative nature of professional gaming. Every engaging lesson unlocks boss levels filled with loot that all educators want for their learners. For example, while participating in esports, learners gain:

That’s right, competitive gaming has all this and more to offer! Whether it’s analyzing game strategies, developing tactics or making split-second decisions during gameplay, esports uses gaming techniques to help learners develop essential lifelong skills.

With ESPORTS, a lesson about momentum management quickly becomes one about developing self-confidence and a growth mindset. For instance, as players navigate “Car Control Drills,” live, virtual instructors highlight the importance of not second guessing decisions, but instead, making moves with intention and confidence.

The lesson emphasizes that mistakes are worth making, as even seasoned players can glean insights from unanticipated outcomes. Esports offer learners a unique platform to develop life skills that aren't just confined to gaming.

Developing Skills for the Professional World:

There are many career opportunities in gaming, but the authentic, immersive experience learners receive on an esports team will set them up for success in any field.

Esports is a rapidly growing industry. To make the experience all that it is, it takes an entire team of skilled individuals.

Just as you would see during a traditional football or baseball broadcast, for example, online competitive gaming needs coaches, commentators, marketing teams, broadcast production teams, journalists and event managers. As part of an esports team, learners also gain an understanding of how gaming software and hardware work, as well as how to communicate effectively on the Internet and navigate digital platforms. Everyone can find something to enjoy, even those who are not interested in active gameplay. It's part of what makes esports so inclusive and collaborative!

Interested in providing more opportunities for learners to explore digital media careers? Check out Discover Digital Video LAB for more application-based lessons perfect for summer camps, classrooms, and out-of-school programs alike.

Get In on the Game:

Channel your learners’ passion for gaming into a productive learning experience with ESPORTS! To explore how you can integrate competitive gaming into your learning environment, request a free curriculum sample.

Author: Jessica Ventre

An experienced elementary educator and science instructional coach, Jessica’s passion for STEM instruction and student-led learning is always at the forefront of her lessons and professional development workshops.

References:

ACTE Contributor. (2023, April 13). Academic esports: Engage in the future - ACTE. ACTE. https://www.acteonline.org/tech-academic-esports/

International Olympic Committee. (2023, March 16). Olympic Esports. Olympics.com. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://olympics.com/en/esports/

Esports | STEM Forged. (n.d.). STEM Forged. https://www.stemforged.com/esports