Abstract
A multiple case study was implemented, implementing a qualitative open-ended interview that brought forward three different specialization area faculty groups that reflect diverse educational perspectives as revolving and evolving around the potential of eSports upon the contributing author's field of study as well as the field of higher education as an overarching umbrella understanding. The prompts to which the contributors respond include an understanding of eSports upon higher education and the field of study, from a historical view, a current snapshot, as well as future-leaning implications. Further, the contributors respond to prompts that focus upon perceptions of eSports implications associated with the faculty responsibilities designated as teaching, research, and service.
TopIntroduction
eSports is a burgeoning area of interest within a global level of engagement, finding its way into so many realms of the global community connection. Yet eSports as competitive games are not only leisure activities; instead, eSports is finding its way into every realm of the economy.
Esports continues to grow rapidly in the sports entertainment industry, internationally and now primary/secondary and higher education institutions are starting to acknowledge the educational benefits. As schools begin to incorporate esports programs into their curriculum they are seeing unexpected added benefits, such as heightened recruiting and retention rates. A recent survey we completed found that one of the main reasons schools are hesitant to implement esports is a lack of expertise around the infrastructure. The reality is, students are interested in esports being incorporated in their educational program; schools just need the correct tools to help them get it started. (Extreme Networks, 2021b, para. 1)
Yet this is not a discussion around the hardware and software associated with eSports. Instead, the discussion brought forward by the authors is a focused discussion around an understanding of eSports within the separate faculty’s fields of study, not only focused upon the historic views as well as forward-leaning understandings, but also upon the faculty member’s field of study contractual obligations associated with teaching, research, and service. Developing an understanding of the nuanced impact and potential integration throughout fields of study may more fully develop a balanced understanding associated with faculty’s expertise around fields of study, digital realms of learning and development, as well as the potential of eSports within the educational process.
Of course, it's important to retain a sense of perspective amid this excitement. While eSports is clearly booming in popularity, education has a long history of overhyping new digital technologies and genres. If eSports is going to buck the trend set by previous digital “next big things” in education, it's important we develop a balanced perspective on how schools and colleges might make best use of eSports. This is where academic researchers with expertise in the areas of digital education and sports education can play an important role. (Jeanes, Phillips, & Selwyn, 2019, para. 14)
This chapter reflects a multiple case study comprised of a qualitative interview focused upon three very different educational perspectives each associated with the potential impact of eSports upon the contributing author’s field of study as well as upon higher education in general. The perspectives address historic, current and future impacts upon the field as well as upon higher education in general. The areas addressed include both the historical and current impact of eSports, future implication of consideration in addition to perspectives of how eSports is and may be impacting upon each faculties own professional research, service, and professional development. The authors present these perspectives, based upon their expertise in their own unique field of higher education and their nuanced understandings associated with not only faculty contractual expectations, but also the potential impacts of eSports upon motivational learning and community of learning engagement, within individual fields of study. These perspectives will be presented organized as responses to the following prompts:
- 1.
Historical View: What is the historic impact of eSports upon your field, as well as the field of higher education?
- 2.
Current Snapshot: What is the current snapshot of eSports impact upon your field, as well as the field of higher education?
- 3.
Future-Leaning Implications: What are the potential future implications of eSports upon your field, as well as the field of higher education?
- 4.
Faculty Teaching: From your own faculty position and associated professional experience, to what extent might eSports support and/or impact your teaching responsibilities?
- 5.
Faculty Research: From your own faculty position and associated professional experience, to what extent might eSports support and/or impact your research responsibilities?
- 6.
Faculty Service: From your own faculty position and associated professional experience, to what extent might eSports support and/or impact your service responsibilities?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Caster: Casters are sport commentators for eSports. Casters provide live commentary of the action of a game to a large online audience during streaming of an online video gaming event. Their primary purpose is to entertain and inform viewers regarding gameplay.
Certifications: A university approved set of courses, typically between 12-18 hours of credit, that together comprise the concentrated study within a subject matter taught by university faculty and university credit applied for the completion of each course and an official university certificate awarded upon completion of all courses required for the certificate.
Micro-Certificate: A university approved set of course topics, offered by a university and taught by university faculty, the completion of which results in the awarding of a micro-certificate in the course topic. A set of micro-certificates at some universities may structure such that they may be combined as a path to completion of larger scoped certificates or as a completion path to one or more courses.
Degree Tracks: Tracks are areas of specializations that students may choose to within a chosen degree program to further narrow and specialize within degree. For example, a computer science degree might offer a gaming track or robotics track that students may choose courses designated to full that track within the computing degree.
Mobile eSports: Online video gaming that takes place via mobile phone apps versus personal computers.
Technology: 5G stands for 5 th Generation Mobile Technology which reflects the mobile telecommunication standard which surpassed 4 th Generation (4G) Mobile Technology. A 5G-based telecommunication network promises to deliver faster connection times and decreased latency for mobile phones, mobile, apps, PC’s and other technology connected to telecommunication networks.
Content Creator: Video games have complex story lines which both define and drive the plot, characters, actions, and strategies of the game. These stories require narratives to be defined and embedded within the game. Content Creators contribute to these narratives as well as may be responsible to narratives employed by social media marketing.