Use of Cloud Gaming in Education

Abstract

The use of digital games in education has been the subject of research for many years and their usefulness has been confirmed by many studies and research projects. Standardized tests, such as PISA test, show that respondents achieved better reading, math and physics results if they used the computer more for gaming-related activities. It has been proven that the application of video games in education increases student motivation, improves several types of key skills— social and intellectual skills, reflexes and concentration. Nevertheless, there are several challenges associated with the application of video games in schools and they can be categorized as technical (network and end device limitations), competency (teachers’ knowledge in the area), qualitative (lack of educational games of high quality), and financial (high cost of purchasing games and equipment). The novel architecture for delivery of gaming content commonly referred to as “cloud gaming” has the potential to solve most of the present challenges of using games in education. A well-designed cloud gaming platform would enable seamless and simple usage for both students and teachers. While solving most of the present problems, cloud gaming introduces a set of new research challenges which will be discussed in this section. using games as a teaching tool in practice, and presented the solution based on cloud gaming. We showed that while the advantages are clear, there are significant challenges in applying the use of digital games in schools in practice. We present a possible solution based on the concept of cloud gaming—streaming of live game video to end users’ devices, whose video is created in real time based on the results of user commands. We showcase how the cloud gaming approach solves the number of current issues, but we also define research problems which this approach poses. We present a detailed roadmap of the research which needs to be conducted in cooperation of educational and technical research.