James Delahunty
13 Mar 2007 20:49
Sony has held a "PSP in Education National Launch" event in London, showing how the PlayStation Portable (PSP) device can be used to assist in education. Sony Computer Entertainment UK's managing director, Ray Maguire, introduced the project which was organized by ConnectED, which shows how the PSP can be used in schools as a learning tool, even though such devices are not welcome by the administration of most UK schools.
Maguire said that Sony has tried to link products to education in the past, mentioning the 2003 trial of using the PlayStation 2 and EyeToy as a communication method between students in different schools. However, he pointed out that now the possibilities are much wider with the developments since in "connected devices" and wireless broadband.
He said that Sony is not seeking to become a leader in the education space, but wanted to demonstrate to content providers how the PSP could be used to provide data and programs for the space. Richard Owen, from Maplesden Noakes school, said the test had been very positive. He said that teachers found that students benefited from being about to work more at their own pace, like being able to rewind a supplied audio file and listen to it again, or repeat a video clip.
Relentless Software also used the event to demonstrate its latest iteration of the Buzz! quiz series, a game which is designed exactly for the school audience. The questions are all designed to cover the Key Stage 2 elements of the National Curriculum. Tests with the title proved extremely successful. Another trial is set to start shortly in Newcastle, involving 10 schools.
Source:
GameSpot