Three UK secondary schools are piloting the use of computer games in the classroom.
The research project 'Teaching with Games', which is to begin in September, will explore whether consumer computer games, such as combat simulation 'Medal of Honour', are beneficial to student learning.
Annika Small, managing director of NESTA Futurelab, the lottery-funded organisation behind the scheme, said it had not yet decided which games to use in the classroom.
She said: "That's the $64,000 question. We are going to look across the range at role playing games and first-person shoot 'em ups, although I'm not convinced of that. We are going to look at three or four games so as not to spread it too thinly.
"It will be games already on the market. The main thrust of this is to see if there is a need for pure entertainment games. By involving the teachers we are hoping they will involve the game developers so [games] will have a greater place in the classroom."
A group of European educationalists, including representatives from Brussels, is monitoring the progress of the scheme.
The UK schools are situated near Brighton (near Futurelab), with a fourth school in Germany being tested.
In a statement, Futurelab said that the study will look at what children can learn from games, how to introduce them in the classroom and what changes might be required to make them relevant in education
The project, also backed by games publisher Electronic Arts, will investigate attitudes of teachers and students towards computer games.
Results of the trial are expected in August 2006.
Talkback
On a day when only 5% of under 18s know of VJ and what it represents, whatever next. If schools can't teach history, they will now have to drop Geography. Physical Education ( PE ) was more commonly known as " Games " and children kept fit from PE. If these idiots want to know the benefits ( or disadvantages ) of playing ( violent ) games they just had to ask most teenagers what they do after school and the effects of the activity. Once again, crazy, uneducated, fools have handed lottery money over and for a cause that can only benefit the profits of the Games manufacturers as schools will now be giving them free promotion in the time allocated for education. Do we really need a future of a society of game playing layabouts, rather than having an educated society to attempt to get the UK back on the world market of skills and brains???? The UK has fell out of world competition, as leaders of Industry and commerce, over the past 30 years and is now poorly ranked. In 10 years time, the Japanese will come here to play games as that is all we'll have to offer.