Bushnell: Gaming will revitalise ‘dead’ classrooms

***wraggster*** · March 19th, 2009, 16:57

Atari founder opens Game Based Learning event with warning for educators

Educators and the games industry must work closer together to inspire children.

That’s according to Nolan Bushnell, the man who co-founded Atari, who opened proceedings at today’s Game Based learning 2009 conference in London this afternoon.

Welcoming attendees to the event, Bushnell stated his belief that what he calls ‘the virtual classroom’ is now an essential part of education – and must not be ignored by teachers or the games industry.

“The classroom as a concept died 12 years ago,” suggested Bushnell, later adding that he feels that “the virtual classroom has to be part of any curriculum.”

Bushnell went on to affirm his belief that games and learning have a ‘long and important’ future together.

The Game Based Learning conference seeks to examine the cross-roads between the games industry and education.

Today the event is hosting a forum lead by ISFE and ELSPA, - more details on that soon - with the conference continuing into tomorrow.

For more news from Game Based Learning 2009, check back with Develop over the coming days.

http://www.developmag.com/news/31506...ead-classrooms

**XDelusion** · March 19th, 2009, 18:40

As much as I respect Bushnell, I feel he's missing a few key points that needed merged in with his idea:

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/

**osgeld** · March 19th, 2009, 23:34

isnt this the same man that last year said "Video games today are a race to the bottom. They are pure, unadulterated trash and I'm sad for that"

http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/sho...light=Bushnell

and NOW they are the future of humanity (altho not a single thing has changed)

i love how this yutz shows up like clockwork to tell everyone else how to do things, eventho he has not been in the industry since the early 1980's

**apex05** · March 20th, 2009, 16:14

The closest thing to interactive inspiration when i was at school was the teacher playing a video taped off open university while she went out for a smoke, Bushnell might be a hypocrite but classrooms do need a shakeup.