How Esports Can Help Students in the Classroom (No, Seriously!)

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Ask most parents if their child's school should start an esports team and you'll be met with reluctance. Video games? In the classroom? Absolutely not!

The reasons add up quickly. Some worry that this could lead to their children spending less time doing homework and more time in front of screens. Others fear what their children may end up seeing and hearing in online games. More than one doesn't even know what electronic sports mean.

I've seen up close how those concerns are fading as esports in education becomes more prevalent. At Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, California, which launched an esports program, teacher Brandon Trieu has demonstrated through the success of the team he coaches, the Mira Mesa Marauders, that esports are a valuable addition to the classroom. They instill important leadership, critical thinking, and communication skills that students carry with them throughout their educational journey. Teachers and school administrators from coast to coast are recognizing the same lesson.

“I haven't seen any drawbacks. I have seen children be more attentive to their grades. They want to be part of something,” says Trieu. “I don't see what school doesn't want the family atmosphere we've created here.”

Esports programs offer students all the benefits of traditional athletics, including evidence of greater participation, higher GPAs and a deeper sense of community, according to research by UC Irvine Connected Learning Lab. Supporting esports in education gives students an advantage, allowing them to foster a passion for technology and innovation, while allowing schools to integrate powerful hardware into their STEM and STEAM curricula.

When schools invest in esports equipment, they are investing in high-end hardware that also integrates with STEM and STEAM programs, meaning students end up having more opportunities to gain hands-on experience and learn in-demand skills. PCs and laptops used for esports have high-performance processors, graphics cards, RAM, and solid-state drives, among other cutting-edge features, so they integrate seamlessly into the classroom so students can pursue their interests in professions and hobbies that require resource-intensive applications. Many of the skills students develop by participating in esports also translate to STEAM and STEM careers, according to Research from the University of California, Irvine: “Esports is a community that natively encourages the acquisition and mastery of knowledge and skills that connect to high-tech sector jobs not only in the gaming industry but also in data science, software and development web, social media marketing and event organization”.

While this may surprise teachers and school administrators who are more familiar with classics like Pac-Man than Valorant or League of Legends, the rise of esports in education is integral to the widespread popularity of competitive esports. . Colleges and universities like the University of Miami, which has one of the largest collegiate esports programs in the country, offer scholarships to students who compete on their teams. The North American School Esports Federation (NASEF) has developed a framework for schools to launch their own teams, providing a base of support to train teachers as coaches.

For students, esports teams are a way to build connections with peers and mentors through a shared passion. About 3 in 10 Gen Z teens say gaming is their favorite form of entertainment, according to a study. technology/digital-media-trends-consumption-habits-survey.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>deloitte study, and 70 percent say gaming provides social and emotional benefits because it helps them stay connected to others. Researchers at UC Irvine came to a similar conclusion, finding that student participation on school esports teams generates “significant feelings of connection at all levels of the program, from team to club to peers to community.” league as a whole.”

Success stories like those at Mira Mesa High School are not so much an outlier as a sign of a growing trend. At Oswego East High School in Oswego, Illinois, teacher and coach Amy Whitlock has also had a similar front-row seat to engaging underserved students through esports.

Whitlock believes students are proud to compete on the school's esports team, which creates deeper bonds between them and their peers, their teachers and their community. “They want to come to school. They want to be in school. They want to work on their other classes,” she says.

Of course, schools can't just snap their fingers to create an esports team. It is a complicated process that requires budget, space, infrastructure and equipment, like any traditional sport. Based on our experience, we recommend following these four best practices to help you set up your program for success.

1. Identify the main goals of your esports program.

What skills do you want the team to develop? How many students can you accommodate? What grade levels will be invited to participate? How often will the team meet, practice and compete? By answering these questions first, you'll have a clear roadmap.

2. The equipment needs of each team will be unique.

Find a trusted hardware partner with experience deploying high-quality devices, who can help you determine your equipment needs based on your program goals. For schools with dedicated space, such as computer labs, desktop PCs are a smart way to maximize your investment. In schools where space is at a premium, laptops are an effective way to prioritize flexibility.

3. The ambition of your program is a key factor.

A casual club with a limited budget should focus on equipment that ensures smooth gameplay, while teams that want to compete and win tournaments should look for high-performance hardware. Consider each piece of equipment: High refresh rate monitors, mechanical keyboards, and gaming mice offer competitive advantages, while infrastructure upgrades, such as Ethernet connectors and a robust power supply that provides reliable power and connectivity, are necessary for everyone. , from amateurs to league champions.

4. Above all, it is essential that efforts are led by a motivated coach.

While every school will almost certainly have students who would join a team, every program needs a leader like Trieu or Whitlock who is committed to fighting for students' interests and lobbying for the budget, space, and equipment. that your team needs to be successful.

Myths about esports are still widespread. But that's no longer a good reason to stay on the sidelines. As more and more schools choose to start their own teams and bolster their STEM and STEAM programs, they will discover what Mira Mesa High School and Oswego East High School already know: esports does not detract from the student experience. They enrich it.