Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

What you need to start an esports program

Esports is seeing phenomenal growth, with the worldwide market expected to reach $2.2 billion by 2023. There are professional esports leagues for popular video games such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Halo, Fortnite, and more.

As the popularity of esports continues to increase, colleges and universities have begun embracing esports as well. Last year, some 200 U.S. colleges offered about $16 million in esports scholarships, NBC News reports. That’s a threefold increase in scholarship money since 2015.

Related content: 4 ways to futureproof networks for an esports takeover…Read More

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Microsoft makes big push for new game audience

Microsoft Corp. wants to build on the success of the Wii’s motion-capture wand—by getting rid of the wand entirely, reports the Associated Press. On June 14, Microsoft detailed its new Kinect game technology, coming this fall for the Xbox 360 game console. Once known as Project Natal, the Kinect system recognizers users’ gestures and voices, so you can control on-screen avatars in racing, action, and sports games just by moving your body. Microsoft showed off a “Star Wars” game, coming in 2011, that will use Kinect to let players swing virtual light sabers in their living rooms, and a dance title from the makers of “Rock Band” that eliminates the need for controllers and high-tech mats to get moving. Kinect’s voice feature also means you can say “pause” or “play” when watching a movie on the Xbox instead of reaching for the remote. And, it has a video chat function that can connect people from different locations. Kinect will launch Nov. 4 in North America, Microsoft said. Prices were not disclosed, and it’s not clear whether Kinect will come with new Xboxes or only be sold separately. The technology works with existing systems, as well as a new version of the Xbox console that goes on sale next week…

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Northern Illinois professor brings video games to class

Coller says video games allow him to create assignments that are more authentic to engineering.
NIU instructor Brianno Coller says video games allow him to create assignments that are more authentic to engineering.

Brianno Coller is showing that video games have a place in the classroom. Coller, an associate professor of engineering at Northern Illinois University, realized several years ago while showing students computer-generated NASA footage from the Mars Rover landings that there might be a better way to teach content that previously had been restricted to the pages of worksheets and tests.

“Students would always be sort of on the edge of their seat watching this thing, because it’s just so cool to see how it works,” Coller said of the video. “But that sentiment ended as soon as you turned off the video, and then they’re back to their boring old homework again.”

This led Coller to imagine a simulation that allowed students to design a desired movement or action using the required formulas and algorithms that apply to all types of engineering. In his mind, this would allow students to do the necessary work and to see firsthand the success or failure of that work.…Read More