Games on mobile phones could improve science education across Europe

(2005-05-09)

Academics within the University of Bradford have been given funding for a two-year project to help encourage young people to take up science and technology subjects through mobile phones and computer games.

Professor Peter Excell from the University's School of Informatics is leading a project that has been awarded a research grant of £40,000 from the European Union as part of the 'GRID consortium'.

GRID, which stands for Growing Interest in the Development of Science Education, is a new EU 'Socrates Project' for which Bradford is the sole UK representative across Europe. The University will join institutions in France, Ireland, Finland, Italy, Belgium and Hungary in aiming to improve scientific teaching within schools and the interest of pupils in the subject.

The GRID project looks at the techniques and best practice methods of teaching science and technology in schools. It ultimately aims to disseminate these methods and techniques at European level with all the relevant means such as conferences, seminars, workshops, publications and websites.

Professor Excell said: "We are currently in a paradoxical situation. While science and technology play key roles in today's global economy, young people are turning away from science subjects. Clearly, raising interest in science among young people is necessary for increasing the number of future science professionals."

Bradford's main contributions to the work of GRID will focus around website development, computer games and mobile content development thanks to the University's strong and innovative work in these fields - particularly within their Electronic and Imaging and Media Communications (EIMC) department.

Professor Excell explained: "We are researching into the delivery of educational content through mobile devices and game technologies. We see these as important areas to investigate due to their proliferation in today's youth culture.

"Games are a rich mode of interaction that can hone important skills in the player - such as strategic thinking and planning, hand eye co-ordination, literacy, numeracy, problem solving and sequencing, as well as providing the interest and motivation to learn.

"Mobile technologies have already become very widespread amongst children and young people, especially in the UK. These technologies are generally deemed as a distraction in children's lives, moving their attention away from educational content and on to activities that are commonly seen as irrelevant to their personal development

. "With this in mind we are looking at educating through this perceived distraction. As science is perceived as a 'hard subject', we are looking at finding ways to explain these 'difficult to understand' concepts through digital media. Our aim is to develop a set of educational games to teach science using mobile devices."

Notes to Editors
According to leading academics in teaching and learning, Science education is at a crossroads in many Western countries because of declining interest due to a perceived disconnect between "hard studies" and the short-term demands that many children see as important in their lives.

As a result, recruitment to science courses and science-based employment is in decline and this has caused a vicious circle in which recruiting and training of appropriate teachers is also in decline. The GRID project therefore exists to create links between European countries to share best practice so that successful initiatives and programs can be made accessible by all the EU countries.

GRID in Bradford
The GRID project work is being carried within the University of Bradford's School of Informatics by Professor Peter Excell, Lecturer David Robison and PhD student Anton Iacono.

At present, they are trying to make contact with teachers and promoters of the project with the aim of raising interest in science education in primary and secondary schools. They have prepared a short questionnaire to gather information and will then select some respondents for a more in-depth interview.

Peter Excell is Professor of Applied Electromagnetics, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Informatics and an Associate Director of the Mobile and Satellite Communications Research Centre at the University of Bradford where he has worked since 1971. He obtained a BSc in Engineering Science from Reading University in 1970 and was awarded his PhD from the University of Bradford in 1980 for research in electromagnetic ignition hazards. An expert on mobile communications, since 2000 he has devoted an increasing part of his time to mobile content and mobile usage scenarios.

David Robison is a Lecturer in Digital Media in the EIMC Department. His research interest is in the application of media and cultural theory to the production of content for multimedia formats, especially cross-platform media delivered to mobile devices. He obtained a BA in Media and English from Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds, and an MA in English Literature from Leeds University. He is a director of 4clubbers.net, an innovative Web/WAP site for the clubbing community.

Anton Iacono graduated in 2004 from the ISVGD (Interactive Systems and Video Game Design) course in the EIMC Department. She spent her final year developing Mobile Games as part of her course with Prof Excell as her personal tutor. After leaving the university she was invited back to the department to work on the GRID Project.

GRID Website
More information about the project and people involved is available on the GRID Website at www.amitie.it/grid/en/index.htm (external link, will open in a new window)

Further information for Media Enquirers
For further media information or photos, contact Oliver Tipper in the first instance on 01274 233084. Out of office hours, contact 07879 437986. Alternatively, e-mail press@bradford.ac.uk or fax on (01274) 236280.