Adapting Esports for Critical Thinking Education using Rocket League

This presentation explores the question, “How can commercial esports be adapted for critical thinking education to support learning transfer?” We answer this question firstly by communicating the design methodology, process and efficacy testing of a structured lesson plan built on the well-researched foundations of critical thinking and reflective practice. Secondly through the authors' experience in training critical thinking for elite sports coaches and adaption of games for educational change. With critical thinking increasingly valued in learners, there is broad consensus that educational institutions should teach critical thinking skills. However, studies suggest that graduates are unprepared to think critically once in the workforce, leaving the efficacy of current approaches in doubt. By combining Rocket League with focused dialogues that emphasize good reasoning, reflection, and communication, we argue that video games provide an ideal substrate for teaching critical thinking.
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Authors of the abstract:
Ger Post (University of Melbourne)
Vincent Tijms (University of Amsterdam)
James Birt (Bond University)

Speakers - video presentation:James Birt (Bond University)Ger Post (University of Melbourne)Nikokche Vasilevski (Bond University)