New Esports in Education Book!

We could not be happier to announce that Paul has released a new book called Esports in Education! The new book helps students, educators, and parents find common ground to unite around esports in the education system! This includes starting new esports clubs and varsity level programs in high schools and colleges. The book outlines important studies about the video game industry, strategies for getting the most educational value out of competitive video gaming and much more. This is a great book to read to better understand college-level esports programs, scholarship opportunities for students and the potential for the education system to fully embrace the future of esports. This book is available for download for free via a PDF download at the link below. You can also purchase the book on Amazon and enroll in a free esports in education online course on Udemy. The online course outlines ways that schools can learn how to host esports tournaments and live stream them.

Link to Download Ebook for Free: https://ptzoptics.com/book

Link to Buy Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Esports-Education-Educational-Tournaments-Productions/dp/1673224431/

Link to Enroll in Udemy Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-start-esports-club/

Esports in Education Book Description:

The intersection between esports and education is a place where innovation and excitement flourish. Author Paul Richards takes us inside the world of esports in order to understand the new challenges and opportunities that are helping to change modern education. From a perspective of acceptance and encouragement, parents and educators have the chance to find common ground that can help students excel in a sport that they are passionate about. Competitive video gaming today already holds the power to create heroes. Richards examines why athletes who are admired for their determination and excellence are no different whether they are playing on a field or in a computer lab. The tremendous growth in esports is being fueled by the internet, live streaming, and global economic demand. The need for a strong educational system that can support positive student development in esports is imperative.

This book reviews the history of video gaming and sports to uncover how esports has evolved from a Teenage pass time to the international stage. Richards brings to light opportunities for technology-related career paths that students and educators are finding in the growing Esports industry. Richards explains in plain English how modern esports games require players to manage multiple economies, respond with split-second reaction times, and communicate with groups of players like a team of navy seals. 

Just like Rock and Roll in the 70s, the esports movement may come as a shock to some parents and educators. Using music and culture as examples to explain esports explosive popularity with our society’s youth, parents and educators are invited to look at games, sports, and human history in a new light. We now live in a world where anyone with a high-speed internet connection has an honest chance to compete on the world esports stage. As the Esports and Education systems in place today come together to channel the excitement and energy behind competitive video gaming, there is the opportunity to create an inclusive and productive culture that can embolden today’s youth to take on the challenges our world will face in the decades to come. The good news for parents, educators, and everyone involved with esports is that this movement is a legitimate sport. Sports are deeply embedded in our culture and history. Sports are in many ways responsible for helping generations shape their identities. 

Richards draws on his experience with Broadcast Clubs in education to explain collaboration and career path opportunities for students. An inside view of a recent esports tournament which included a student-run broadcast team gives educators real-world examples of non-gaming yet tech-related roles that can get be used to get students involved. Richards teams up with the Center for Educational Innovation Esports program along with a host of other schools to provide diverse perspectives on what is working in esports and education today. As educators continue to embrace the esports movement students will benefit from learning opportunities that are fueled by passion, excitement, and opportunity.

Parents of video gamers will enjoy a recurring theme discussed in this book outlining strategies to create common ground between children, parents, and educators. These strategies apply whether kids are playing Fortnite or League of Legends. Richards outlines the history of video game studies to help illustrate the fundamental research parents and educators should understand in terms of video game literacy. Simple strategies can greatly increase the educational value kids can garner from their video gaming experiences. Perhaps sitting down and playing video games with your child isn’t such a bad idea after all? Getting the most educational value from video games requires a full understanding of the social development issues facing kids who simply play too many video games. This book addresses topics of interest from concerned parents and provides strategies for parents who want to curb their children’s video gaming addictions. Engaging students and preparing them for their interactions in the online world is perhaps the best way of shepherding the youth toward a positive future. This book serves as a wonderful guide and shareable reference for students, parents and educators alike.

What people are saying about the book:

Review By Nicholas Washoe

This book is a thoughtful, revolutionary and technology-oriented review on the trajectory trend the esports world is taking. Over the last decade, the world has seen the esports, develop and take over the entertainment industry in many ways. Football, rugby, wrestling, bowling and table tennis are but a few of the “traditional” sports that have captured the attention of the masses. However, as a new decade unfolds, a somewhat shocking revelation has created a new playground for sports; online. Esports is perhaps the future of entertainment as much as it is a teenage pass time. The sport eliminates physical boundaries for players and allows anyone in the world to engage online. There are live commentary sections where commentators can actively follow the games, involve their team partners and interact just as they would in a field watching football. 

Esports in Education: Exploring Educational Value in Esports Clubs, Tournaments and Live Video Productions by Paul Richards is an eye-opening book for parents, teachers, and curriculum developers. It is a collection of in-depth research done on video games by renowned scholars, professors, and research institutes. With reflections on work from others’ scholars in the field, Richards succeeds in laying a concrete foundation of the crucial need for schools and parents to adopt the integration of video games into the school curriculum. Of course, most parents have established gaming rules in their houses to prevent addiction which is covered in detail in the book. While Paul is aware of this, he creatively outlines the positive side of video gaming to children, especially in their cognitive development. Just as nuclear energy can be used for bombing or energy production, video gaming has a good and potentially harmful side.

Through a chronological history of the evolution of the gaming world, Richards takes the reader through the initial stages of video gaming to the modern multi-billion industry. An industry that one would have despised a decade ago continues to flourish and overtake the physical sports such as baseball and football. Over the years, people have switched to playing online video games, and others watching with the current gaming world attracting over 60 million online viewers. The need for the school curriculum to support student development in competitive video games is explained in great detail throughout this book. 

Richards does not advocate whole-day sessions in schools of pure online gaming. Video gaming is all about hand-eye coordination, strategies, teamwork and making decisions swiftly. Esports induces the release of dopamine hormones that increases and enhances connections between neurons. Therefore, esports stimulate thinking, making decisions and employing strategies. Incorporated into schools, esports in the curriculum is likely to spur advancement in the gaming technology, development of more advanced games, bring out more skilled players, and contribute positively towards the continued booming of the industry. 

The book is written in pure and comprehensive English, Esports in Education: Exploring Educational Value in E-sports Clubs, Tournaments and Live Video Productions by Paul Richards is an eye-opener for every rigid curriculum developer. It contains insights, in-depth analysis of the gaming industry, chronological history of the industry and the future for the gaming world. This book is skillfully written to enlighten, create awareness and advocate for the inclusion of esports into the education curriculum. The book is a detailed read, formidable analysis with well-sourced information that collectively presents a persuasive argument pushing for a future of esports in education. Indeed, it is a book worth reading.  

Review from Pauline

Part of my new year’s resolution was to read on subjects that are not familiar to me so I knew I had to read this book while I scrolled through my kindle. I wouldn’t say that I have entirely no background in gaming or Esports per se. However, this book has proven how scarce my knowledge is when it comes to this subject. Paul Richards has put together if I dare say, a gem. A gem that is not just for gamers. It will appeal to a vast majority of people; from educators, parents, investors, young business minds to college students. It has topics that range from the history of video games to our very own enticing future in Esports.
The book is out here to win the hearts of each and every person that is lucky to pick it up. Just to mention a few of the groundbreaking issues covered: How to encourage the introduction of Esports in schools, how video games can cause a great impact on students’ minds development and how to refute the common notion that gaming is a waste of time. The book has a topic, which explains, in such simplicity, the positive effects of video games in shaping a child’s critical thinking and decision making skills. This has to be the highlight of the book!
I remember reading this book yesterday and thinking to myself, can this be implemented in my own country, Kenya? This seems very possible since the book not only encourages the introduction of Esports in learning institutions but also gives a guideline on how to host one. It has opened up a whole other perspective of gaming to me. Honestly speaking, I think Esports would be a breath of fresh air in our schools. This book should definitely be in every school’s library. It will sate the minds of parents that the introduction of Esports in schools is a great idea and serve as great reference to educators. If you are a college student that needs material for a thesis, then pick this book up. As a parent, you will get to understand why you should keep encouraging kids to spend more time playing video games. To the educators, this book will guide you through Esports hosting. Everything you need to know is detailed in this 120 page book. It reads like a novel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

More Esports in Education Articles

1. Download Esports in Education for free
2. Introduction to Esports in Education
3. History of video games & esports
4. The study of video games
5. What are the top esports tournaments?
6. College Level Esports Programs
7. Apply for the StreamGeeks Esports Scholarship
8. How to start an esports club at your school
9. How to live stream esports tournaments
10. Getting the most educational value out of video games