Consolarium

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Watch the CBBC Newsround report from an Aberdeen school showcasing how its using games-based learing across the curriculum to encourage game designers in the future.

Teacher education programmes are in may ways at the vanguard of preparing prospective students for life as teachers in the digital age. It’s great to see and hear of new initiatives being driven by Universities that offer teacher education but it’s even better to hear about students who take on board these ideas and then really make them work in new and exciting ways.

It’s just been announced that thew winner of this years George Gray prize for the best B.Ed(p) thesis for 2006/7 has been awarded to Karen Crichton, formerly from the University of Dundee. Karen is now in her induction year at Denend PS in Fife and is obviously delighted and honoured  to have won this award.

Her thesis, ‘The Business People of Tomorrow?’ An investigative Report into the influence of the Commercial Computer Game, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, on Enterprise Education’ discussed how she managed to integrate this game into her exisiting teaching approaches and how the game encouraged and facilitated the development of skills and knowledge in Enterprise education.

The Chief Executive of the GTC Scotland commented:

“Miss Crichton’s thesis is groundbreaking in many respects and illustrates that the use of computer games by young people has a wider educational value than we may previously have understood. This would go some way to refuting the often expressed view that young people’s use of computer games is negative and harmful to their education.

“The quality of Miss Crichton’s teaching and research combined with the enthusiasm she brings to her chosen area of interest bodes well for the education of her pupils in the months and years ahead.”

Karen became aware of games based learning when she undertook the B.Ed ICT Elective at Dundee University. This elective looked at the creative application of ICT in teaching and learning and had as part of its structure a module focusing on games. Playstations and other games were introduced and the idea of games as  a valid tool for learning were discussed and debated. Karen talks of this experiecne and how it helped her develop her ideas for her thesis.

It is fantastic read about teacher education institutes being willing to give students access to innovative ideas such as the opportunities offered in the ICT elevtive at Dundee but even better to then see how a student can take these ideas and make them work in their own practice in such an impressive manner.

We look forward to reading Karen’s work and hopefully learning from her expereince in order to share her expertise with other teachers throughout Scotland.

Very well done Karen.