Digital Schoolhouse showcases computational thinking workshops at Big Bang Fair

The Association for United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment, or Ukie (pronounced YOU-KEY), is a trade body that aims to support, grow and promote the whole of the UK’s games and interactive entertainment industry. Founded in 2010 (although formerly known as ELSPA), Ukie’s membership includes all the major UK and global games publishers and the best of UK development talent - from promising start-ups to some of the biggest, most successful studios operating in the UK today.

Ukie works with government to champion a range of issues including age ratings, education and skills, access to finance and protecting intellectual property rights. It also works with the media to ensure true and accurate representation of the sector by raising awareness of the industry’s positive economic contribution and the societal benefits of gaming to policy makers, regulators and consumers. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Games trade body Ukie are this week showcasing their range of computational thinking workshops run through the Digital Schoolhouse programme at The Big Bang Fair, the UK’s largest celebration of STEM subjects, from Wednesday 16th March to Saturday 19th March. The Big Bang Fair is being held at the Birmingham NEC Arena, and The Digital Schoolhouse can be found at stand #409. The activity on the Digital Schoolhouse stand will include a full programme of inspirational speakers and interactive workshops over the four days of the Fair.

The Digital Schoolhouse Programme aims to develop a new generation of Computing teachers to teach the new Computing curriculum. Each Digital Schoolhouse is based in a Secondary school and aims to work with a growing network of local Primary teachers to deliver creative and cross-curricular computing lessons. The team will be running free sessions for teachers throughout the event.

“We’re really excited to be showcasing the Digital Schoolhouse programme at the Big Bang Fair as part of the huge celebration of STEM subjects,” said Shahneila Saeed, Ukie’s head of education and director of the Digital Schoolhouse programme. “Embedding the computing curriculum in fun and creative ways for students is the best way to engage them with STEM subjects and tackle the issues around diversity. Computational thinking and creativity are the key to prepare the learners of today for the jobs of tomorrow and so we’re proud to be putting on such a fun and diverse range of activities across the four days, with huge thanks to both our games industry and education partners.”

During the Fair, names from the games industry and academia will be presenting, with the likes of Intel, Kuato Studios and volunteers from Ukie’s Video Games Ambassadors programme speaking alongside leading academics such as Miles Berry, Computing At School and Digital Schoolhouse teachers.

In its first year, the Digital Schoolhouse programme supported over 5,500 pupils and over 600 teachers from 80 schools across London. The project is now expanding across the UK and is seeking sponsorship from the games sector to help with financing Digital Schoolhouses across key games clusters.

Visit www.digitalschoolhouse.org.uk/BigBang2016 or contact [email protected] for more information.