Aston University wins £590,000 to test video games as a new way to teach Shakespeare

The Shakespeare Arcade will examine how games can support Shakespeare teaching, with UK teachers set to trial selected titles and free Key Stage 3 and 4 resources planned

The Shakespeare Arcade will investigate how video games can be used to support Shakespeare teaching and learning. Image: Aston University

Aston University and the University of Birmingham have secured £590,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for a project exploring how video games could be used to teach and study Shakespeare in schools.

Led by Dr Sarah Olive, Senior Lecturer in Communication and Culture at Aston University, and Professor Erin Sullivan from the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, The Shakespeare Arcade: Learning and Teaching through Video Games will investigate existing Shakespeare-inspired games and test how selected titles work in classrooms.

The universities describe it as the first large-scale investigation focused specifically on using video games to support the study of Shakespeare.

Rather than developing a single educational game, the project will begin by mapping what already exists, from homemade microgames to commercially produced indie titles. Researchers will look at which plays have been adapted, the types of games being created and how elements including interactive mechanics, narrative design and multimedia features can offer different ways into Shakespeare's work.

The findings will feed into an open-access digital platform, also called The Shakespeare Arcade, bringing together Shakespeare-inspired games with information on their content, scope and technical requirements.

Teachers will trial games in classrooms

The project will move beyond cataloging games by testing how they can be used alongside curriculum and assessment requirements.

Aston University and the University of Birmingham will work with the English Association and the National Association for the Teaching of English to introduce the platform to UK English teachers and recruit teaching champions to use selected games in their classrooms.

Researchers will then examine teacher and student perceptions of the games, including their effect on motivation and learning.

That work will inform a series of lesson plans for Key Stages 3 and 4, the stages at which students in the UK most commonly study Shakespeare. The resources will be made available free through The Shakespeare Arcade.

Dr Sarah Olive says digital tools have long been part of educators' attempts to find new ways into established texts.

“Educators have always drawn on the latest technologies to engage students and facilitate learning, from cinefilm to chatbots. The Shakespeare Arcade is an exciting opportunity to expand existing resources and pedagogies for teaching his works and literary classics more widely. While we focus on secondary schools, elements of our work will be applicable from primary school to higher education classrooms.”

The researchers are also placing the project against falling English Literature A-level enrolments, arguing that fewer students studying the subject could mean fewer opportunities to develop areas including critical thinking, cultural literacy and multimodal analysis.

From Shakespeare adaptations to classroom evidence

Video game adaptations of Shakespeare are not new, but the project will look more systematically at what happens when the medium is treated as a teaching and research resource rather than simply another form of adaptation.

Professor Erin Sullivan says: “Shakespeare and video games might at first seem like strange bedfellows, but the truth is there is a long and rich tradition of adapting Shakespeare’s plays to new media. The Shakespeare Arcade will introduce the public to the world of Shakespeare-inspired video games and highlight how game developers might use classic texts in the future.”

She adds: “We are delighted that this project brings together two Birmingham universities to support the development of digital media and the creative arts in our vibrant city and region”.

Alongside its classroom work, the project is intended to build a publicly accessible collection of Shakespeare-related games and supporting information, giving teachers a clearer picture of which titles could be practical for different teaching contexts.

The resulting Key Stage 3 and 4 lesson plans will be available free through The Shakespeare Arcade.