Video games are often associated with entertainment, competition and leisure, but their potential extends well beyond these familiar purposes. A well-designed game can require players to solve problems, communicate with others, manage limited resources, make decisions and adapt when a strategy does not work. These activities have attracted increasing interest in education because they can create environments where learning happens through participation rather than passive observation.
The University of Glasgow has developed a substantial academic interest in games and gaming. Its Games and Gaming Lab supports cross-disciplinary research covering electronic and tabletop games, while research within the university has examined how commercial video games may contribute to the development of graduate skills and competencies.
What Is Game-Based Learning?
Game-based learning refers to the use of games or game-based activities for educational purposes. The central idea is not simply to make lessons entertaining. Instead, the mechanics of a game can be connected to specific learning objectives.
A player might have to analyse a situation before making a decision, collaborate with other participants, or experiment with different approaches until a solution is found. Because the learner is actively interacting with the environment, the educational experience can be quite different from reading information or listening to a conventional lecture.
University of Glasgow guidance on game-based learning identifies several elements that can contribute to an effective educational game, including rules, incentives, narrative, visual design and the knowledge or skills the game is intended to teach.
Learning Through Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is one of the most natural connections between games and education. Many games present players with obstacles that cannot be overcome by simply repeating the same action. Players must observe what is happening, identify patterns and decide how to respond.
This process can encourage learners to think critically. A player may fail several times before discovering an effective approach, with each attempt providing additional information about the system.
The experience is particularly interesting in education because mistakes can become part of the learning process. Instead of being treated solely as evidence that a student has not understood something, an unsuccessful attempt can provide information that helps shape the next decision.
Developing Communication and Collaboration
Games can also create situations where communication matters. Multiplayer experiences often require players to share information, coordinate actions and negotiate different approaches.
These interactions can be relevant to higher education because communication and teamwork are important skills across many academic and professional environments. Research conducted at the University of Glasgow has specifically investigated whether playing commercial video games can support graduate attributes such as adaptability, resourcefulness and communication. A published research dataset describes a study in which undergraduate students played selected commercial games over an eight-week period under controlled conditions.
The university’s research on games and graduate skills therefore considers games as potential environments for practising competencies rather than simply as sources of recreation.
Games Can Represent Complex Real-World Problems
Another educational advantage of games is their ability to represent systems. A game can create an environment in which multiple factors interact, allowing players to see how decisions produce different outcomes.
The University of Glasgow offers a course called Playing the world: understanding real-life challenges through interactive games. The course asks students to examine complex real-life challenges and consider how those challenges are represented through games. Students also develop skills related to working with others, interpreting media and understanding how interactive systems can represent real life.
This approach shows how gaming can become a way of studying subjects rather than simply illustrating them. A digital or tabletop game can provide a system that students explore, analyse and question.
Studying Games From Different Perspectives
Games are naturally interdisciplinary. Computer scientists may study software, graphics, artificial intelligence and interaction, while humanities researchers may examine storytelling, history, identity and representation.
The Games and Gaming Lab at Glasgow reflects this breadth. It brings together more than 300 members from different academic and institutional backgrounds and investigates games across formats, age groups and historical periods. Its work includes electronic and tabletop media, educational projects, heritage applications and research into the wider games industry.
Glasgow’s academic curriculum also includes courses that approach gaming through historical analysis. For example, its 2026–27 Games and Gaming course asks students to critically engage with the use of history in electronic and tabletop games and gives them opportunities to analyse or design games.
The Connection Between Gaming and Computing
The relationship between gaming and computing is equally significant. Modern games require sophisticated software engineering, and the principles involved in developing them overlap with broader areas of computer science.
At Glasgow, undergraduate computing programmes include Computing Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and related disciplines. These programmes combine theoretical foundations with practical projects and opportunities for industry engagement.
Game development can therefore provide an accessible context for understanding programming, system design and interactive technology. Students can see how abstract computing concepts become functional systems that respond to users in real time.
Why Games Matter in Modern Education
The educational value of games does not come from assuming that every game is automatically beneficial. The learning experience depends on how an activity is designed, what skills it encourages and how it is integrated into teaching.
Research and teaching at the University of Glasgow illustrate a broader shift in how games are understood within higher education. Games can be studied as cultural objects, examined as technological systems, used to explore real-world challenges and investigated as possible environments for developing graduate skills.
As digital technology continues to influence education, the boundaries between learning, research and interactive media are becoming increasingly interesting. Games offer a distinctive combination of challenge, feedback, experimentation and participation. Used thoughtfully, these characteristics can create valuable opportunities for students to explore ideas and develop skills in ways that extend beyond traditional classroom activities.
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