LO1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the history and development of play.
LO2. Examine the historical development of esports games and communities while contextualising learning within its current ecosystem and future evolution.
LO3. Apply basic academic writing standards to your bodies of work.

Formative 1
Students will be required to provide a Harvard referenced list of 5 academic and non-academic sources relating to esports and gaming history, with a small synopsis of each source.

Assessment 1 – Report
Students will write a report about the development of a chosen game and the evolution of its esports scene in relation to origins of competitive gaming. A Harvard referenced list of sources will be required but academic sources are not expected at this point.
LO1

Formative 2
Students will work in groups to create a presentation regarding a small selection of academic sources relating to esports and gaming history of their choosing. This presentation must include a synopsis of the included source and why it is useful in their research.

Assessment 2 – Essay
Building off their feedback relating to assessment 1, students produce an essay about the development of a chosen game and the evolution of its esports scene, with a critical analysis looking towards its future in the gaming and esports market. A Harvard referenced list including academic and non-academic sources will be required.
LO2, LO3

Over the course of this module, students will learn the history behind what led to the modern era of esports. We will explore the early years of esports, including the first esports events. We will also be looking at how esports became sports, the historic connections between traditional sports history and esports, and an introduction to the theory of media archaeology with a focus on video game preservation.

This module will explore the history of play and how it developed into different forms of competitive gaming. Exploring how competitiveness originated, we will identify key principles of play across eras and how this transitioned through different mediums into the computer games we see on our screens today.

- Video game preservation
- Origins of play
- Origins of gaming
- Origins of Esports
- Retro gaming
- Human motivations
- Academic research
- Academic writing
- Harvard referencing

Discover the origin of play and how it developed into different forms of competitive gaming. Exploring how competitiveness originated, we will identify key principles of play across eras and how this transitioned through different mediums into the computer games we see on our screens today.

1 hour lecture, 2 hour seminar.
Students will be expected to engage in a variety of learning strategies, including but not limited to:
- Tutor led formal presentations
- Workshops and group-based tutorials
- Discussion/debate cantered learning
- Participation in group activities, including presentations and discussion panels
- Directed reading
- Self-directed/independent research

David, F.N., 1962.¿Games, gods and gambling: The origins and history of probability and statistical ideas from the earliest times to the Newtonian era. Hafner Publishing Company.

Djaouti, D., Alvarez, J., Jessel, J.P. and Rampnoux, O., 2011. Origins of serious games.¿Serious games and edutainment applications, pp.25-43.

Kirriemuir, J., 2. A history of digital games.¿Understanding digital games (2006),¿21.

Maslow, A.H. (1943). “A Theory of Human Motivation”. In Psychological Review, 50 (4), 430-437.

Zhouxiang, L., 2022. A History of Competitive Gaming. Routledge.

University Library
IT
Blackboard
Reading list
VLE learning support material to be provided for independent /self-directed learning.
Module handbooks
Open Textbook Library
Specialised Teaching Labs
Media Stores