Using Little Big Planet 2 to teach history

Over the past few years Scottish teachers have shown how innovative they can be with games technologies and how they can be used to great effect in order to impact in a positive fashion on teaching and learning. This seminar continues in this vein as it showcases how the massively popular Sony PS3 game has been used to help teach core content in history.

This game is hugely popular globally and has millions of user generated levels. With the able assistance of Sackboy in the game you will see how a teacher created his own levels in the game that could be played by pupils. Yes, the challenge for the pupils was to get a high score, but the content of the game was based around history topics such as Bismark or the home front.

We will also see how the pupils created their own games to demonstrate their understanding of aspects of history. Come along to see how this built for entertainment game can have a tremendous impact on learning.

Tim Laver, PT of History and Modern Studies at Bishopbriggs Academy

Tim Laver has been PT of History and Modern Studies at Bishopbriggs Academy since the school formed from the amalgamation of Bishopbriggs High School and Thomas Muir High School in 2006.

Throughout his teaching career he has always had a keen interest in using technology to engage learners and develop skills. He has previously spoken on the subject of ICT in social subjects at SETT and SATH conferences. Tim was also an active participant in Masterclass and has delivered a range of CPD in his local authority.

Tim has used a range of games and game creating software to enhance lessons and inspire pupils, but it was a request by one of his higher pupils that they present a piece of groupwork as an interactive level of Little Big Planet 2 that led him to a new creative world that opened up a range of ideas and possibilities for the classroom.