Video games like The Sims, Minecraft and Assassin’s Creed should be used in schools to teach children about the built environment, peers have said.
In a letter published on Thursday, the Government has been encouraged to work with educators in rolling out “digital tools” aimed at helping young people to develop an interest in construction and design.
The Lords Built Environment Committee said widely popular 3D games could be used in lessons on geography, citizenship and design technology in schools and colleges.
Peers believe they could also be introduced within the planning system, for example when councils consult on proposals for local infrastructure, to help involve children from the community in the process.
Writing to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Communities Secretary Steve Reed and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, committee chairman Lord Gascoigne said many people, including younger generations, have a “poor understanding” of what the built environment is and what it can offer them.
Helping to children to engage with the subject could curb commercial and planning risks and highlight career pathways for them, he said.
The peer cited evidence heard by the committee from James Delaney of BlockWorks, which creates educational projects within Minecraft, who said such resources could be used “meet kids where they are at”, and to “talk their language”.
He added that games should not be used at the expense of real-world engagement but to complement it, acting as a “bridge to real experiences”.
Lord Gascoigne wrote: “Video games, including Minecraft, The Sims, and even Assassin’s Creed are increasingly young people’s first introduction into the themes of world building, construction, and design, and have become a pathway into the wider built environment sector.
“We heard that such games allow young people to simulate environments in an interactive, low-stakes way, often with very few barriers to entry.
“Harnessing the power of video games to develop interest in the built environment therefore presents a creative, low-cost solution that a tool young people are already both familiar with, and eager to use more.”
Lord Gascoigne added: “With government leadership we believe that the built environment sector and educators should seek to embrace video games as a tool for connecting to the younger generation.”
The Government has been contacted for comment.
Published: by Radio NewsHub
