E-Sports and school

Written by ECA Review

School and E-Sports are two completely different things.

In one of them, people learn and prepare for the future and in the other you play a game, run a storyline or compete with friends in various virtual environments. 

What do these things have to do with each other?

School rarely reminds students of a video game, yet students are offered a huge range of activities, they spend time with friends while learning new things.

After their busy day at school, students often go home and play video games, either messing with sandbox games – where players must consider the laws of physics to create and defend worlds – or playing linear games or multiplayer games which follow a loose or strict storyline and require a rich involvement with plot and conflict to be successful.

In fact, some classes in junior high do make use of educational games and competitions.

Teachers make use of sites like Kahoot, Booklet or Quizlet and classes are always engaged while learning in this competitive way.

But E-Sports are quite different from those.

Most people, like Grade 9 student Gabe Sortland, know of the appeal of competitive E-Sports.

“I don’t know much about them, but you could make a lot of money off them.” 

Sortland also thinks that it’s possible to incorporate E-Sports into school, but says “I think it will take a while.”

Fellow student Bryden Laing thinks that E-Sports “are cool but I don’t think it will become a thing because it could distract students and make their marks go down.”

Recently, Hughenden Public School principal Ryan Duffett was asked jokingly when he was going to play in a video game tournament in the school.

To everyone’s surprise, his response was that he actually was thinking about making some type of E-Sports or gaming club or event for after-school hours.

It seems as though E-Sports and school might have a future together after all.

 

by Lowell Cuthbert and Christopher Legault

About the author

ECA Review

Our newspaper is only as good as its contributors and we thank each one who submits stories, photos and opinions. If you have a news item, photos or opinion to share please submit it to office@ECAreview.com.