Hallam’s innovative teaching methods recognised at national games awards

21st October 2024

Andrew Hamilton, Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing and Digital Technologies and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Computer Science for Games, has won the Innovative Teaching Award at the TIGA UK Games Education Awards 2024.

This national award recognises innovation and excellence in teaching game development. This year a panel of game development professionals and academics recognised Andy’s innovative use of ‘gamifying’ the assessment for a second-year module.

The award-winning teaching method saw the introduction of an innovative assessment method inspired by video game achievements. Students now earn virtual "trophies" for completing course tasks, similar to popular gaming systems. This approach provides immediate feedback and allows students to customize their learning path. A personalized "trophy tracker" helps students monitor their progress throughout the course. By incorporating familiar gaming elements, the program aims to enhance student engagement and motivation.

The Innovative Teaching Award is awarded to a lecturer or teaching team that have shown ingenuity and excellence in teaching. The award had 7 other entrants from Abertay University, Birmingham City University, the University of Greenwich, the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Suffolk, the University of Portsmouth and Staffordshire University.

This award represents the commitment shown by Andrew and the course team to enhancing student experience and learner diversity.

On the award win, Andrew said: “"I am very proud to have won this award from a shortlist of the most respected games courses the UK has to offer. This award is testament to how seriously we take student success here on the Computer Science for Games course and highlights the determination and focus shown by students to reach the high levels industry demands.”

2024 has been Sheffield Hallam’s most successful year at these awards, with a total of 8 shortlisted entries in programming, audio, research and industry collaboration.

TIGA (The Independent Game Developers Association) is a UK trade association that represents the interests of video game developers at a national and governmental level. The TIGA annual awards highlight excellence in student work, teaching and research amongst games courses nationwide.

Find out more about the awards here.