First-ever Esports in Education Conference arriving in Scotland

The first-ever Esports in Education Conference will be arriving in Scotland this March. Alongside the College Development Network (CDN), the British Esports Association will be hosting the digital event.

Taking place virtually via Zoom, the Esports in Education Conference will feature different sectors of the Scottish education system. The event will aim to connect all institutions by providing them with information about the industry, in hopes that this will further support the development of esports in the country.

 

The morning session will consist of an introduction to esports as a curriculum area and what students can achieve with a degree in it. This will be in addition to a conversation on building communities through gaming and the challenges that exist in the industry.

In the afternoon, an award will be presented to the winners of the first-ever Scottish College Cup in Rocket League. Back in November, Edinburgh College took home the gold in the final match against Inverness College. The Rocket League tournament consisted of eight school teams that duked it out against each other.

According to the original event announcement, the goal of the Scottish College Cup in Rocket League was to give colleges the opportunity to learn more about esports and how they can be beneficial for students. Matches were streamed over on the British Esports Association’s Twitch channel and Rocket Kingdom TV.

After the Rocket League award ceremony, attendees of the conference will get to learn about what it means to have a career in the esports industry, which involves a discussion about play, production and performance. This will be followed up by more panels such as the role of women in competitive gaming and research being conducted about competitive gaming scenes.

Your winners of the Scottish College Cup 2020 are @edinburghcoll 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏆

Well done to all participating teams, you all played incredibly well! #ScottishCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/EUzs1IVWeG

— British Esports Association (@British_Esports) November 29, 2020

“It’s an exciting opportunity to develop the first Esports in Education Conference to cover all sectors of the Scottish education system,” Mark McCready, the Scotland representative at the British Esports Association, said in a press release. “We’re privileged to have some of the leading stakeholders and institutions participate in the discussion and show how dynamic the esports industry is on a national scale.”

McCready added that the education angle will provide a greater scope of the esports industry and help participants understand how engaging young people in their passions can be beneficial.

Kenji Lamb, the digital and innovation lead at the CDN, also noted excitement for the upcoming conference. “Esports helps to build community in these difficult times, through gaming societies and inter-college competition,” he stated. “And for those with the skills and passion, there’s a pathway to a range of careers in the industry.”

The Esports in Education Conference will arrive following the success of the second annual Esports in Education Summit that happened in 2020. Last year, educational institutions across the United Kingdom participated in a virtual conference that included panel discussions and interactive sessions with education experts and industry leaders.

 

Some of key topics included the progression and career opportunities in esports, women in competitive gaming and building provisions in secondary education and beyond. Solutions to the challenges that schools face and the different stages of esports development for colleges were also discussed at the event.

As for the upcoming Esports in Education Conference, it will take place on March 24, 2021. The event will be free to attend and registration for it is currently open.