Written by Alan Sitomer
As the co-founder of the US Academic Esports League, I’ve been asked, “So what is the difference between an academic esports league and a ‘regular’ esports league?”
Because I am an educator, to me, the difference is immense and if you come out of the classroom yourself, you can usually spot it right away.
First, let’s tip our hat to the idea that esports has gained immense popularity across the globe in the past decade and that its ascent in schools, while astonishing, is really only just beginning. What we’ve seen with this growth is that two distinct branches of esports have emerged: regular esports and academic esports. While both involve competitive video gaming, they differ in their objectives, focus, and the value they place on learning and positive student outcomes.
Before I go forward, however, I want to admit that I am a huge fan of regular esports and in no way feel that using the term “regular” is a pejorative. Yet, the teacher in me knows that if a school is only offering “regular” esports to its students, there’s gobs of valuable educational opportunities being unnecessarily left on the table. I am talking about unrealized learning that these kids need!
Regular esports can be defined as participating in competitive video gaming leagues and tournaments whereby the competitions focus primarily on entertainment, who won (and lost), and financial gain through sponsorships and prizes. Nothing wrong with that. Kids play hockey, baseball and football for many of the same reasons and as a sports fan, I certainly see the value.
Academic esports, however, recognizes that in a K12 setting, entertainment and competition sit at the intersection of learning and personal growth among students. Thus, academic esports intentionally and overtly coalesces the joy of gaming with the benefits of student development. In the world of K12, shouldn’t the mission of why schools exist in the first place (i.e. to teach kids valuable skills, both hard and soft) be at the forefront of its programming?
We live in a world changed by technology. Regular esports uses that technology to facilitate the games. Academic esports understands that teaching kids to wield the technology, to build the technology, to use the technology as a vehicle for college and career readiness is smartly playing chess when regular esports is playing checkers. A football helmet is used to play football and there’s little more use a football helmet holds. But the technology that is used to power games is the same technology powering the internet, health tech, fintech, artificial intelligence and so on. Gaming, in academic esports, becomes a gateway.
In regular esports, people argue that the kids learn teamwork, communication and problem solving simply by playing the games. To some extent, that’s true. Collateral learning does take place. (i.e. Kids eat their vegetables because they’re smushed in with the sweets). In academic esports, however, these critical skills are overtly taught. Being on a team does not necessarily teach you teamwork; having someone teach you teamwork is what teaches you teamwork. Unfortunately, the proponents of regular esports misperceive - probably because they are not coming from an educational background - that learning happens by causality. Said another way, watching tv does not make you a great tv writer; learning how to write for television is what will make you a great tv writer. The same is true for any endeavor. If schools want to produce kids who demonstrate high character, respect diversity and own the skills to step into lucrative careers, they are going to have to teach the students these skills. These capabilities won’t just “magically develop”. This is why academic esports is the right path for K12 education. Learning and fun can be inextricably tied together but the learning must be valued.
Academic esports is a mindset. One that befits K12 schools.
In conclusion, the difference between academic esports and regular esports in K-12 education lies in their objectives, integration with the curriculum, emphasis on learning, and impact on students' overall development. While regular esports prioritize competition and entertainment, academic esports place a strong emphasis on education, promoting the growth of cognitive, social, and emotional skills. By valuing learning and providing inclusive opportunities, academic esports not only prepare students for future careers but also enrich their educational journey within the K-12 system. As the popularity of esports continues to grow, academic esports offer a promising avenue for harnessing the potential of gaming to benefit students and society as a whole.
Alan is Mastery Coding's CEO and a California Teacher of the year award winner who has written 22 books. He left the classroom and started this company because he sees the opportunity for students to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through obtaining jobs in emerging technologies.
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