Bringing Serious Games Into the Classroom With Ollie Bray
Ollie Bray, then National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland, spoke on computer games in schools at the 2010 Games Based Learning Conference in London. His talk drew on the Consolarium, a games and learning center in Dundee.
Updated
Who spoke and where
Ollie Bray held the post of National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), the education agency responsible for curriculum development in Scotland. He has worked as a school leader and head of department and is described as an award-winning teacher. His listed interests include social media in schools, computer games in education, mobile technologies, school design, outdoor learning and 21st century school leadership.
On March 29 and 30, 2010 he took part in London in the second international Games Based Learning Conference, organized by Graham Brown-Martin and his team at Learning Without Frontiers. Bray chaired the Learning with Games session on the Tuesday morning and delivered the opening keynote. His slides on bringing serious games into the classroom were shared on SlideShare.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Ollie Bray, National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures, Learning and Teaching Scotland |
| Event | Second international Games Based Learning Conference, London, March 29 and 30, 2010 |
| Organizer | Learning Without Frontiers (Graham Brown-Martin and team) |
| Center presented | The Consolarium, the Scottish Center for Games and Learning, Dundee |
Address of the center checked in November 2026.
What the Consolarium was
LTS set up the Consolarium as the Scottish Center for Games and Learning, housed in its Dundee office. Its purpose was to explore how computer games affect teaching and learning in Scottish schools. The center listed four aims: to explore the range of games technologies and use what it learned to inform curriculum development, to give teachers hands-on access to the equipment, to let educators take part in the debate about games in their own class, school or local authority, and to build links with academic and industry partners.
Visitors found a PlayStation 3, an Xbox 360 with Live, a PlayStation 2, a Nintendo Wii, a PSP and a Nintendo DS, plus a PC and a Mac set up for games. Peripherals included an EyeToy, dance mats and guitars, and an interactive whiteboard with a sound system and wireless network allowed groups to play together. The collection of console and computer titles kept growing.
The guiding idea was that teachers have to be engaged first if learners are to be engaged. The center invited teachers and others in education to visit, to contribute to its community, and to ask staff to bring resources to schools for professional development or new projects. An online presence was planned to give schools resources, features and links, and the Consolarium wanted to partner with local authorities exploring games-based learning.
What is true today
The Learning and Teaching Scotland address that once carried the Consolarium page, ltscotland.org.uk/consolarium, now shows an unrelated website. The page at that address does not mention the center, so its present activities are not stated here.
The conference where Bray spoke was a 2010 event, and the Learning Without Frontiers team organized it. Readers who want the equipment list or the aims above should treat them as the center's 2010 plans and holdings. For serious games used in schools today, the games directory on this site lists titles by maker, topic and status.
Questions about the talk and the center
What was the Consolarium?
It was the Scottish Center for Games and Learning, set up by Learning and Teaching Scotland in its Dundee office to explore how computer games can support teaching in Scottish schools.
Who is Ollie Bray?
In 2010 he was National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland, a former school leader and head of department, and an award-winning teacher who speaks to international audiences on creativity and innovation in education.
Does the Consolarium page still exist?
No. The old Learning and Teaching Scotland address for it now shows an unrelated website, so no current Consolarium page is available at that location.