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Presentation: Bringing Serious Games Into The Classroom

Ollie Bray Superb Presentation at Games Based Learning Conference 2010


Via: SlideShare and Consolarium Project

Ollie Bray is National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). LTS is the education agency responsible for curriculum development in Scotland.

Ollie Bray speaks to global audiences on creativity and innovation in education. He has been a school leader, head of department and is an award winning teacher. His current interests include social media in schools, computer games in education, mobile technologies, school design, outdoor learning and 21st century school leadership.

On the 29th and 30th March he was down in London at the second international Games Based Learning Conference organized by Graham Brown-Martin and his team at Learning Without Frontiers, where he chaired the Learning with Games session on the Tuesday morning and also delivered the opening keynote.

About the Consolarium - Bringing Computer Games Into The Classroom

“If you want to engage the learners then you need to engage the teachers first”

The vibrant and dynamic world of computer games is an area of development that Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) is committed to exploring, promoting and developing.

The Consolarium is the Scottish Center for Games and Learning, established by LTS to explore the world of computer games and how they can impact on teaching and learning in Scottish schools.

This is a centre in their Dundee office where they aim to:

• explore the range of games technologies available and, in doing so, inform and influence new curriculum developments both in theory and in practice
• provide a place where teachers and others involved in education are given hands-on access to these resources
• provide an opportunity for teachers and educators to engage with the debate about the place of such technology in their class, school or local authority
• develop relationships with academic and industry partners to extend and refine effective and innovative practice with computer games.

The Consolarium has a comprehensive range of games-related resources as well as state-of-the-art teaching materials. These include:

• Sony Playstation 3
• Microsoft Xbox 360 live
• Sony Playstation 2
• Nintendo Wii
• Sony PSP
• Nintendo DS
• a PC and a Mac designed for use with games
• a range of peripherals such as Eye Toy, Dance Mats and guitars
• an ever-growing catalogue of console and PC/Mac-based games
• Promethean Activision+2 interactive whiteboard with sound system and an integrated wireless network for collaborative game play.

The Consolarium’s online presence will aim to provide schools with a range of resources, features and links that will assist teachers' understanding, appreciation and practical application of computer games in learning contexts.

They want to create the opportunities and frameworks that will allow them to partner local authorities that wish to explore how games-based learning can impact on teaching and learning in their schools.

You are more than welcome to visit the Consolarium, to contribute to the community or to ask them to bring resources to you to support CPD or any new initiatives.