[Acer notes] Esports in Education: Acer is ripe for disruption
The author of this magazine article isCristina Pez,Acer EMEA Senior Manager for Education, Sales & Marketing.
When talking aboutvideo games,there is a tendency to see them as something thattakes away from study timeand acts as adistraction.
Competitive gaming,oresports,proves thatthat statement is not necessarily trueand thatvideo games can be gainfully integratedinto a school’s curriculum and even have a number ofsurprising benefitson students’ performances outside of the gaming arena.
What “Esports in Education” means
The popularity of esports is on the risefor gamers and watchers alike: gameplay videos onTwitchandYouTubeprove thatesports are becoming more and more similar to traditional athletics,withprofessional leagues of playersanda steady fanbaseof people who like watching video games being played but may not be gamers themselves.
It stands to reason, then, thatschool esports clubs should be given the same value as traditional sports teams,in spite of detractors claiming that video games are not a‘real sport’.
Firstly,the whole schoolcan benefit frombetter equipmentthat allows members of the esports club toplay competitively without the disadvantage of lag: the same hardware can be employed inmore traditional educational settingswhen not in use for esports.
Secondly,playing video games that were not created with an educational purpose in mindcan have unforeseen,positive consequenceson students’social and academic skills: it increasesspatial awarenessandperseveranceand hones the ability tothink strategicallyandmake split-second decisions under stress,all skills that have been shown to improve theirgradesand theircareer chances.
Moreover, whilevideo games are considered a solitary activity,there are, in fact, plenty of games that require players tocoordinate their effortsand apply theirteamwork skills: parents and teachers have observed thatan esports club fosters the same dynamics as a traditional sports team,promotingteam spirit and friendshipand allowingnatural leadersto emerge.
Why Acer is the ideal partner to include esports in academic curricula
Whether you intend to offer students ashort-termorlong-termesports experience and regardless of thelevel of professionalismyour gamers can boast, Acer can providesolutions that suit your needs.
Acer’s commitment to a future in whichesports and education go hand in hand,however, isnot limited to gaming hardware and gadgets. We are working with an ecosystem focused on esports to encourageresponsible gamingandimprove both the soft and hard skillsof the next generation of innovatorsthrough competitive play: thanks to esports, you can learn anything from teamwork to finance and management, with an obvious added bonus—you can alsohave funalong the way.
“With the emergence of Esports onto the international arena,
education is ripe for disruption” – Cristina Pez
The partnership between Acer and British Esports Association
Among the several institutions included in this ecosystem, there is theBritish Esports Association,anot-for-profit organisationfounded in2016thatshares our belief in a bright future for esportsand aims to make the general public moreaware of their benefits.
The British Esports Association isbased in the UKand isfocusing its efforts on promoting British esports talent,buttheir core principles are applicable anywhere in the world: the association is aware that esportssharpen cognitive and interpersonal skillsand even benefitbrain development,and that theirinteractivenature makes esportsmore engaging than passive mediasuch as television and social media.
While the British Esports Associationis not a governing body,it is takingactive steps towards getting the value of esports officially recognisedand even sits on theLondon South East Colleges Digital Skills Advisory Board: UK and other countries EMEA are pioneering,introducing esports into their secondary and higher education curricula. Despite thedisagreements on whether esports should be classified as a sport,it is clear that they aremore than just a game: with global revenues estimated to reachover 1 billion by 2020and the ability to createthousands of new jobs,esports are having atangible impact on societythat Acer – within an environment that involves partners strongly focused and skilled in esports – seek to promote and bring to the attention of the masses.
Are you a teacher? A school principal or an IT manager? Or are you a reseller?
If you would like to know more about the Acer project to include esports in education, please feel free to write me atcristina.pez@acer.com. Let’s get in touch!