James Birt- Mixed Reality, Computer Games and E-Sports Educator: S2E5

In this episode: Using virtual reality in the classroom. How games taught James important life skills. Innovation and entrepreneurship in education and tensions between formal and informal modes of learning. The pedagogical value of game jams and hackathons. Parallels between e-sports and regular sports. How games helped James when he broke his back. The importance of standards and governance and an argument for formalised education.

About the Guest: James Birt is an Associate Professor of Computer Games in the Faculty of Society and Design at Bond University, Australia, where he runs the Mixed Reality Research Lab (www.mixedrealityresearch.com). His research spans computer science and visual arts, with an emphasis on applied design and development of extended reality (XR) and games-based experiences for assisting learning and knowledge discovery. James is recognised as an international leader in educational technology, XR and games with an editorial role with Springer Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D), a position on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) working group for AR/VR, an assessor’s role for the International Serious Games Showcase and Challenge (SGSC) and an expert role on the 2022 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report.