eSports are an engaging way to learn STEM concepts

eSports, short for electronic sports, is an organized competition centered around online multiplayer video games and is currently the fastest growing sport in education. While it is easy to dismiss video games as a brainless and passive activity, there is actually quite a lot of planning, strategy, coordination, and creativity involved in even the most simple games. First person shooters (FPS) and sports games are two of the most popular genres of competitive video games being played today, and both require a tremendous amount of teamwork and adaptive strategy to be played at the highest level. The emergence of analytics has recently changed how many mainstream physical sports are played, and the world of eSports is no different with statistics being used to modify a team’s strategies and measure the success of their game plan. One of the primary benefits to eSports over traditional in-person sports is that an internet connection can bring students together from all over the world to compete against each other, as opposed to being limited to regional travel that can still be costly and time consuming.

Here are a few eSports resources that we recommend checking out. If you have any questions about these brands or need help selecting resources for your learning environment, please contact our in-house experts for a STEM consultation to find the right products that will fit your needs.

HADO USA

• Grades 3-12 | HADO AR Physical Esports Program
• About: HADO combines traditional sports with AR (augmented reality) and is the world’s first physical eSport. HADO is a non-contact sport that can be played indoors by up to 6 players at a time (3 players per team) and is designed to cross the boundary between sports and gaming to encourage fitness in an exciting new way. STEMfinity offers a HADO Academy Bundle that has everything needed to successfully play the game including instructional guides, setup and tech support, operating license, hardware, and all related arena equipment. HADO is perfect for students in grades 3-12 in learning environments like physical education classes, afterschool enrichment programs, summer camps, and eSports clubs.

STEM Forged

• Grades 6-12 | STEM Forged Esports Standard Camp
• About: The eSports Standard Camp from STEM Forged is a 6, 8, or 12 week package for classrooms or afterschool programs that are looking to bring eSports to their learning environment. STEM Forged includes accessible resources like remote coaching, program materials and guide, ISTE-aligned curriculum, and IT support to ensure that your implementation is a breeze. If your are looking for a longer-term eSports program, STEM Forged also offers separate packages for classrooms and afterschool programs that can last for 1, 2, or 3 years. STEM Forged also has several educational game design courses if your students are interested in building their own video game along with playing competitively.

Mastery Coding

• Grades 3-8 | Among Us: Academic Esports Club
• Grades 3-8 | Minecraft: Academic Esports Club
• Grades 6-12 | Fortnite: Academic Esports Club
• Grades 6-12 | Overwatch: Academic Esports Club
• Grades 6-12 | Rocket League: Academic Esports Club
• About: Mastery Coding offers five different eSports clubs for popular video games including Among Us, Minecraft, Fortnite, Overwatch, and Rocket League. These eSports clubs are designed to use gaming as a tool for engagement while focusing on interdisciplinary STEM concepts and developing SEL skills. By combining engaging gameplay with critical thinking workshops, students will learn new concepts, improve team communication, and master in-game strategy. Each of these titles is facilitated virtually by a Mastery Coding certified instructor to ensure that your learning environment successfully implements the program even if your educators or students have zero experience with video games. Mastery Coding also offers an academic eSports club bundle that lets you select up to three of the titles with a year license to give your site the most bang for your buck. There are also Camp versions of the the eSports packages that take place over a week if you are looking for a one-time event.