Author: George Milliken

Digital Schoolhouse: Festival of Play 2025 by a Primary Teacher, Dundee City

We were lucky that a parent of a child in our class works with Digital School House and they let us know about the event. There were spaces available and the children were really enthusiastic and keen to go. It would be great to let more schools know about the event – I am sure they would find it very worthwhile.

 

This event was especially engaging as the children worked in their co-operative learning groups, designing games and presentations for Ninja Kiwi (a local games developer?). They created their own amazing and unique games that they then pitched Ninja Kiwi staff like in Dragon’s Den. This allowed them to pull together an array of skills and during this time we looked into Dundee and its gaming history.

 

On the day, children and young people were excited to arrive at the University where they received tote bags on arrivals with some ‘merch’. They really enjoyed the session with Olive, about her game Private Joke, and enjoyed how much creativity and fun it involved. Lunches were a big hit as well, and the gaming exhibit at the end where they got to play games and try things out. They were big fans of the design a character, with Ninja Kiwi, and after this I heard two boys discussing coming to Abertay to study and design a game together. 

“The monkey bit was really fun and creative as you could do anything; the exhibit at the games were really fun. I liked the whole day as it was really interactive and wasn’t just sitting around for like 25 minutes.” Hamish M, 10 years old.

“I really liked it because I liked the workshops and the VR headset. My The part I really liked was playing on the Nintendo Switch; the commentating workshop was very interesting because I liked the instructor because he told us all sorts of information.” Akshara, 10 years old. 

 

As a teacher, i really liked the range of speakers and activities for the children to engage with. I thought the sessions were a good length and covered a lot of different aspects of learning. The games were a good opportunity to play. My favourite was the Private Joke session as it was the most transferable and the games commentary workshop was also really engaging. 

 

We had a great time and loved being a part of the day, especially it being the first in Scotland. The children felt really inspired afterwards and comments about not knowing how many skills were needed in gaming, some children who are really creative and love drawing realising there were career opportunities, children who love playing games, children who love maths and numbers and then the ones who love reading, they all came away talking about how what they liked learning about and how there were pathways in gaming and computing industries.

 

scottish esports schools and colleges survey

Scottish Schools and Colleges Esports Competitions – Expression of Interest

Scottish Esports are the national body for gaming and esports in Scotland and are conducting a survey to assess the viability of a national esports competitions for Scotland’s schools and colleges.

This initiative aims to provide a structured competitive framework that supports Curriculum for Excellence, develops learners’ meta-skills, enhances digital skills, and aligns with national qualifications including the NPA Esports and HNC Esports.

Provide your feedback using this link: Scottish Esports Schools and Colleges Competition survey

For more information or queries, contact: info@scotesports.org

Digital Skills Big Ideas

Digital technology 

Digital technology is used to store, process and share computer data about almost all aspects of our lives and society. This is underpinned by computer technology, including hardware, software and networks. It is essential that these systems and their data should be secured to protect them, and us, from cyber threats. 

 

 

Essential digital skills 

Being able to use digital technology increases opportunities to engage in society, including finding information, accessing essential services and communicating with other people. 

 

 

Creativity and communication 

Having access to vast quantities of information, media and statistical data requires skills to navigate but also to scrutinise its reliability and veracity. Digital technology provides a wide range of media through which to express our thoughts, feelings and ideas and to engage with others’ self-expression. Digital technology should be considered part of any a potential solution when problem solving or innovative thinking. 

 

 

Citizenship  

As digital technology is increasingly embedded in all aspects of our lives we should consider how we engage with it and how this may affect us and others. The means to create, publish and communicate online should be democratic and of benefit to individuals and society. Human rights should be central to the design and function of these systems and services. Lessening the environmental impact, through manufacture and use, should be a priority in the lifecycle of technology 

 

 

CILIP the library and information association

SuperSearchers – information literacy with CILIPS and Google

Information literacy is a key skill for people who are trying to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. To help empower people to understand the tools and tactics that they can use to make sense of information online, Google is partnering with CILIP to launch the Super Searcher training programme in the UK. Google have successfully rolled out this initiative in America with the American Library Association and in Europe with Public Libraries 2030.

Under this partnership, librarians and other library staff across the UK will be trained on best practices from information literacy experts to help evaluate information online. In turn, trained library staff will be able to educate, support and empower library service users to strengthen their information and media literacy skills and their ability to critically evaluate online news and media at a time when finding quality information online is more complex than ever.

Pilot Programme Details

The pilot for the training programme will focusing on public and school library workers across all four nations in the UK and will run from June to December 2025.

Get Involved

For more information on how you can get involved, please email:

Matthew Dwyer – matthew.dwyer@cilip.org.uk

glasgow indie games fest

Glasgow Independent Games Festival 2025 Event, 9th August

The Glasgow Independent Games Festival is officially set to take place on 9th August 2025 at the community revered Barras Art and Design (BAaD) Building. This year’s festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of independent game development, featuring new game showcases, industry discussions, and games-related art performances even larger than last year’s historic appearance.

Organised by the Glasgow Independent Games Group CIC (GIGG), the festival aims to highlight the creativity and innovation of independent game developers while fostering meaningful conversations about the future of the games industry. Attendees can expect a diverse lineup of activities, including:

  • Game Showcases: Discover groundbreaking projects from emerging and established indie developers.
  • Industry Panels: Engage in thought-provoking discussions with leading voices in the UK games industry.
  • Art Performances: Experience unique, games-inspired artistic performances that combine the familiar with the idiosyncratic.

Joe Bain, Director of GIGG, said, “The Glasgow Independent Games Festival is a platform for indie developers to shine and for the industry to come together to celebrate the artistry and innovation of games. We’re excited to welcome everyone to the Barras Art and Design Building for a day of creativity, collaboration, and inspiration.”

Ryan Caulfield, Director of GIGG, added, “This festival is about more than just games—it’s about building a community that values inclusivity and creativity. We’re proud to support indie developers and provide a space where their work can be celebrated and appreciated.”

Since its inception, GIGG has supported over 200 developers, sponsors, and patrons from across the UK and beyond, earning recognition for its commitment to fostering an open and inclusive environment for games and their cultural impact.

Find out more:

glasgow indie games fest

Event Details:

Date: 9th August 2025

Time: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Location: Barras Art and Design Building, 54 Calton Entry, Glasgow

phase25 esports event

PHASE25 Esports Conference, 26th September Edinburgh

Are you running, or interested in running, esports in your setting?

Join Phase25 at Murrayfield stadium, and explore the dynamic intersection of academia and esports, emphasising the profound impact of integrating esports into educational curricula. This conference will highlight how esports can be leveraged as a powerful tool for cultivating essential transferable skills that are highly valued across various industries.  

 

There will be a range of talks from people including: Nik Turner, Shoubna Naika-Taylor, Euan Jardine, Gavin Ferry, Bubba Gaeddert, and Alex Hirbe

 

Find out more and sign up using this link: PHASE Esports Conference tickets

phase25 esports event

north lanarkshire council logo

Minecraft Build Battle in North Lanarkshire Council

The Digital School Team at North Lanarkshire Council have shared this summary of their recent work using Minecraft with primary school learners. To find out more get in touch with Alan Cooper Curriculum Manager CooperAl@northlan.gov.uk and Lauren McIntyre Digital Education Support Officer McIntyreLa@northlan.gov.uk at North Lanarkshire Council 

All resources and support are available on our Padlet below 

North Lanarkshire Minecraft Build Battles 

 Roadmap of Journey 

NL Minecraft Build Battle Summary 

In Session 2024/25 North Lanarkshire’s Minecraft Build Battle was launched! Inspired by the rapid rise of esports across Scottish education, the final was the culmination of months of competitive gaming.  

From February 2025, over 1000 pupils took part in live online lessons and in-class challenges led by North Lanarkshire’s Digital School Team. Pupils from 36 schools worked together in teams of four within their class to develop their collaboration and Minecraft skills. They completed builds each week based on prompts with increasing difficulty and relevant success criteria. Following an in-class build battle, teachers chose a winning team to represent their school in one of the live online semi-finals against five other teams. The top-performing six teams were then invited to showcase their creativity and skills at the inaugural in-person live build battle final! 

The 24 pupils from six teams were challenged to create a fantastic castle for the famous Minecraft character, Steve, within 45 minutes.  

 

an image explaining a minecraft building activity

After lengthy discussion and deliberation, judges from North Lanarkshire Council and the eSports and Gaming industries decided the winners – ‘The Glowstone Gals’ from Thornlie Primary, Wishaw. 

 

Build Battles by Number 

  • 37 schools (35 Primary & 2 ASN Primary) 
  • 995 Pupils 
  • 30 live lessons 
  • 36 in class build battles 
  • 6 live semi-final build battles (144 pupils) 
  • 1 live grand final (6 schools & 23 Pupils) 
  • Clusters (20 clusters involved) 
a picture of a castle built in minecraft by children

 

 

Feedback by pupils and teachers include: 

North Lanarkshire Council: Minecraft Battle Builds Live Final Video Long 

Teacher 

‘It was incredibly well organised and launched effectively, the CPD sessions were great for someone with zero experience of Minecraft. the build prompts were really good and I found FULL class engagement. I have a child in my class (P7) working at early level in all curricular areas and this is one thing they could join in with peers – very inclusive.’ 

Pupils 

‘Our class really enjoyed it because we helped each other and our friendships grew’. 

‘I really enjoyed Minecraft Education. It really helped to develop teamwork skills and creativity. It was mega fun and I really hope our teacher does this with the next P7s’. 

‘The prompts were very creative because each week they were different but gave us a chance to add our own touches. I hadn’t played Minecraft in a while but not I’m constantly playing Minecraft Education with my friends!’ 

Plans are already underway for a Minecraft MAYhem event in this session. A focus on eSports in Primary and Secondary schools will also be a target for the NL Digital School. 

 

YouTube player

learning about games

Learning about games

go to the Games in Education page

This section contains link to resources, training and inspiration for educators who want to teach about games. This could be considered reading and writing about games or using games as a text in literacy and English learning.

PEGI

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) provide age ratings for games based on the suitability of a game, not the level of difficulty. These can be useful to help educators check whether they might use a game in with their learners.

Find out more by visiting the PEGI site with this link

into film

 

 

Into Film have developed resources for teaching about games in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen. The resources are free and cover concepts, such as genres, controls , characters and goals.

Find out more by visiting the Into Film games hub with this link

The results are in! Teachers in Scotland are digitally skilled

Our Teacher Digital Skills Toolkit has been available for over a year now. It contains guidance on what skills and knowledge teachers in Scotland should have to meet the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) standard for registration, which requires teachers to be ‘digitally literate’. There is also short videos to support some of these skills and knowledge, as well as links to the Barclays Digital Wings free learning pathway, which covers all of these.

Beside the guidance, there is a Form for teachers to evaluate their essential skills, knowledge and confidence. We’ve now had almost 200 responses from 25 local authorities and the results are positive:

  • 96% Use a device’s main features, such as keyboard, mouse, touchscreen or camera
  • 96% Access and log in to platforms, such as Glow
  • 93% Connect, or reconnect, a device to a Wi-Fi network
  • 99% Search the web for information and evaluate the search results
  • 77% Access and use common accessibility features, such as text size, text-to-speech, or speech-input
  • 82% Consider copyright of any content or media included in created content
  • 98% Access email and send a message
  • 96% Access and join a Class, Team or group
  • 84% Access cloud storage, create a file there and share it
  • 78% Create a class and show learners how to join
  • 81% Create files or share files from drive storage to the class
  • 88% somewhat confident (44%) and extremely confident (44%)

 

Have you evaluated your digital skills recently? Take the survey and let us know how you get on!
essential skills checklist evaluation