Xbox Launch 'Beyond Xbox Field Trips' Merging Gaming with Education

Xbox and McCann London have launched a category-changing product innovation, titled Beyond Xbox: Field Trips. The duo has introduced seven audio learning layers and visual guides designed to support learning through play.

The popular games which feature in the audio learning journeys are available on Xbox Game Pass. These include Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, PowerWash Simulator, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Age of Empires IV, Grounded and Cities: Skylines.

Beyond Xbox: Field Trips provides young players with educational content which is seamlessly woven into their gaming experience. With research showing that children who play video games being 1.88x more likely to have “high overall school competence”[1] than those who don’t play video games, this project has been created as a facilitator to learning. The audio learning journeys teach valuable life skills such as problem-solving, team building, communication, and analytical thinking, as well as curriculum-related topics like the history of piracy and tidal systems. For example, in PowerWash Simulator, players jet-wash a Mars Rover while learning about its history and our solar system, a unique approach to engaging young minds.

Michael Flatt, Xbox EMEA Marketing Director, said: “At Xbox, we believe in the power of gaming to inspire and educate. Beyond Xbox: Field Trips is a testament to this belief, showcasing the innovation that comes when we merge entertainment with education. McCann London’s idea to integrate insightful audio lessons into popular gaming titles gives players a truly unique and enriching learning experience. This initiative not only highlights the positive impact of video games but also underscores our commitment to leveraging technology for educational purposes.”

Xbox has partnered with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse, the trade body for the UK games and interactive entertainment industry specialising in play-based learning, to bring the learning experiences to its network of over 200,000 young people in 67 schools across the UK. It uses play-based learning to support over 14,000 teachers to inspire the next generation of pupils with the computing curriculum.

Shahneila Saeed, Director of Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education at Ukie said: “We're very excited to be supporting such an original and unique program, using games to develop the soft skills of young people. I can't wait to see how these audio and visual learning experiences are implemented in our Digital Schoolhouse network over the coming months, and the impact that they will have.”

Involved in the development of the lesson plans is Ollie Bray, a prominent figure in the ed-tech field. Ollie is passionate about improving the lives of children and young people through the development of engaging learning experiences, playful approaches to teaching and learning, quality system leadership and innovative learning spaces (physical and digital).

Ollie Bray, co-author of the European Games in Schools Handbook said, “There is increasing evidence to suggest that play is one of the most powerful ways to learn. These interactive "Field Trips” allow young people to immerse themselves in both popular and culturally relevant video games while developing important skills and exploring a variety of learning outcomes. The project provides a unique take on experimental learning.”

Rob Doubal, Joint-Chief Creative Officer at McCann London said, “We are very proud of the team for this idea which could have a huge impact on gaming and education. This level of innovation is only possible because of a strong and fantastic partnership with the team at Xbox and a shared ambition to go beyond. We imagine that we will start to see similar ‘learning layers’ in all forms of tech.”

The campaign launches today with a hero five-minute documentary style film, going live on Xbox channels across social and YouTube. The film features experts across psychology, education, and innovative learning who talk about the benefits of gaming. It also includes first-hand testimony from the children themselves.

Available on Spotify, players are encouraged to listen to the audio lessons whilst gaming. They will be promoted across Spotify’s social channels and also in-app. The audio learning journeys are complemented by visual guides available on Xbox.com.

You can visit the Beyond Xbox: Field Trips website, created by Xbox and McCann London to house related research, expert profiles, the documentary film, visual guides and information on the learning journeys.

Credits

Client: Microsoft Xbox

Creative Agency – McCann London

Production Agency – Craft London / Craft Mexico

Digital Agency – Clockwork

Production Company - Borderland

Music & Sound Production – Factory

Charity Partner – Ukie

Client: Xbox

Michael Flatt – Xbox EMEA Marketing Director

Florian Liewer – Senior Director – International, Integrated Marketing

Mark Rosasco – Senior Manager – International, Integrated Marketing

Creative Agency – McCann London

Polly McMorrow – CEO

Rob Doubal - CCO & Co-President

Laurence Thomson - CCO & Co-President

Regan Warner – Executive Creative Director

James Crosby - Creative Director

William Cottam - Creative Director

(ex-McCann London) Sanjiv Mistry – Executive Creative Director

(ex-McCann London) Jamie Mietz – Executive Creative Director

Tom Oliver – Business Director

Luke Brocklehurst – Account Director

Sophie Toy – Account Manager

Caitlin Wheeler – Account Manager

Annie Imam – Senior Project Manager

JJ Bender – Planning Director

Alex Passingham – Senior Planner

Lisa Carrana – Head of Design

Max Henderson – Design Director

Lexie Hoskins – Junior Designer

Production Agency – Craft London / Craft Mexico

Jack Bayley – Director of Integrated Production, Craft London

Sarah Hall – Senior Producer, Craft London

Simon Halsall – Offline Editor, Craft London

Peter Pichnor – Colourist, Craft London

Seb Coker - Online Editor, Craft London

Clare Betts – Head of Business Affairs, Craft London

Jazz Casey – Creative Research Assistant, Craft London

Paige Cowan – Music Licensing, Craft London

Christian Schultz – Director, Craft Mexico

Rene Rocha - Executive Producer, Craft Mexico

Mauricio Caraveo - Producer, Craft Mexico

Estefania Cervantes – Offline Editor, Craft Mexico

Directors Credits

Simon+Ben - Directors

Frances Ellis – Producer

Digital Agency: Clockwork

Darren Flory – Digital Engagement Lead

Michelle Vermeulen – Senior Web Project Manager

Music & Sound Post-Production – Factory

Jack Hallett – Senior Audio Engineer

Andy Isaias – Audio Engineer

Emily Thomas, Audio Producer

Charity Partner: Ukie

Shahneila Saeed, Director of Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education

Ollie Bray, co-author of the European Games in Schools Handbook