Microsoft introduces Xbox Field Trips – educational podcasts based on Game Pass titles
Xbox has teamed up with trade association UK Interactive Entertainment’s (Ukie) Digital Schoolhouse initiative to release a series of Xbox Field Trips, educational podcasts based on popular Xbox game Pass titles including Sea of Thieves And Minecraft. The podcasts, described as “audio learning journeys”, are available for free on Spotify and focus on developing important […]
Xbox has teamed up with trade association UK Interactive Entertainment’s (Ukie) Digital Schoolhouse initiative to release a series of Xbox Field Trips, educational podcasts based on popular Xbox game Pass titles including Sea of Thieves And Minecraft.
The podcasts, described as “audio learning journeys”, are available for free on Spotify and focus on developing important soft skills such as decision-making, teamwork and strategy. They were created by a team of teachers, narrative game designers, educational technology specialists and child psychologists.
Each Xbox Field Trip can also be downloaded in e-book format via the Xbox website, to meet more visual learning styles and individual accessibility requirements. There are currently seven to discover, each targeting a different skill set and a specific game available through the Xbox game Pass subscription service.
The full list of games and their associated skills is as follows:
- Based – Problem solving and analytical thinking
- Sea of Thieves – Teamwork and delegation
- Minecraft – Creativity and innovation
- Microsoft Flight Simulator – Focus and diligence
- PowerWash simulator – Motivation and prioritization
- Age of Empires 4 – Strategy and decision making
- Cities: horizons – Planning and adaptability
Commenting on the initiative, Ollie Bray, co-author of the European Games at School handbook and also involved in the development of the programme, said that “increasing evidence suggests that gaming is one of the ways to most powerful learning. These interactive “field trips” allow youth to immerse themselves in popular and culturally relevant video games while developing important skills and exploring a variety of learning outcomes.
It follows a series of campaigns aimed at highlighting “the positive impact of video games on people’s lives”. This includes Beyond Generations, which aimed to combat elderly loneliness by improving relationships with younger family members through gaming, and Beyond Xbox: A Player Like Me, which used gaming in a therapeutic setting.
