Gamification relaxes learning environment

A team of scientists spanning multiple disciplines will be using video game live streaming to engage students in the #BatteryLow event as part of National Science Week.

The brainchild of UNSW Associate Professor Michael Kasumovic, #BatteryLow will run 11.00 am to 6.00 pm on Friday, 21 August. It aims to create a relaxed experience where scientists will chat with each other while playing video games, hopefully reaching an audience that would normally not tune in to a science event.

Kasumovic thinks that seeing scientists as regular people who don’t have all the answers will inspire the general public to learn more. Always looking for a teachable moment, he sees value in both during- and after-school participation, with teachers and parents equally welcome to tune in throughout the day.

Participants in #BatteryLow include astrophysicists, chemical engineers, computational biologists, perceptual psychologists, plant ecologists, behavioural neuroscientists, geneticists and more. They will go head to head in a range of games including Heave-Ho and Moving Out while simultaneously interacting with the audience and answering all your science questions. 

Teachers and parents can register for free using this link. Keep an eye on the event’s YouTube and Twitch channels for more info, or follow Kasumovic on social media. Further event information including scientist profiles can be found here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/igor_kell