Yesterday, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) president and CEO Michael Gallagher spoke before the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the growing use of video games in education. The focus of the talk, entitled “STEM in Action: Inspiring the Science and Engineering Workforce of Tomorrow”, was to show that games could encourage students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
“We commend Chairman Hall and Ranking Member Johnson for their leadership on this issue. Our industry’s interactive technology provides students with a new mode of learning,” said Gallagher. “With the power to improve critical thinking and problem solving skills, games are next-generation learning tools that have the potential to transform the educational experiences of children across the country. We encourage educators and policy makers to take steps now to incorporate these resources into classrooms and ensure that our young people are equipped for success in emerging STEM careers.”
The ESA is actively involved in numerous STEM initiatives, including:
- The association was a leader in the Educate to Innovate campaign, launched by the Obama Administration in 2009 to improve STEM education and participation;
- ESA also partnered with the White House Office of Science Technology Policy to organize the First Annual National STEM Video Game Challenge, a competition that challenged the nation’s youth to design and develop engaging and innovative games;
- Each year the ESA awards scholarships for aspiring video game developers through the ESA Foundation Scholarship Program in an effort to rouse interest in creative fields; and
- Gallagher served as a judge for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Apps for Healthy Kids” competition, which called on software developers, game designers and students to create innovative, engaging applications and games to encourage children to eat healthier foods and be more physically active.
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell also recently championed the use of games to teach students. Bushnell proclaimed that his pilot program could be used to shorten the average U. S. high school curriculum from four years to one year. Will we see more educational gaming in the future?
