Xbox Field Trips

For some children, conventional education can be challenging, uninspiring or just plain boring. Video games, however, are a world they enthusiastically dive into. Studies also show they can help kids learn and develop important skills. So why not bring the two together? That’s what Xbox did with “Field Trips,” a first-of-its-kind learning system that reframes popular video games as educational tools.

Working with experts including teachers, ed-tech specialists, child psychologists and gaming narrative designers, we delved into Xbox’s biggest titles to unearth where education could be harnessed. What we found were learning opportunities in the most unexpected places—games including “Flight Simulator,” “Sea of Thieves” and “Grounded.”

Launched exclusively on Spotify, and accessible via Xbox Dash, the immersive experience takes the shape of audio podcasts in both English and Spanish that kids listen to as they play the games. Each one fosters important soft skills like problem solving, team building and communication, while also delivering curriculum-based learning related to each game’s theme.

Inclusion in the classroom was vital so Xbox also formed a ground-breaking partnership with UKIE and the Digital Playhouse, a trade body that uses play-based learning to engage the next generation of pupils and teachers with the computing curriculum. The partnership enabled “Field Trips” to become a permanent fixture within the education ecosystem.

Truth Well Told: By reframing gaming, Xbox reinvigorated learning. More than 200,000+ pupils in 2,000 schools gained access to an education system that spoke their language. “Field Trips” empowered kids, parents and teachers alike while showcasing the breadth of Xbox games in a whole new light.