Milton Keynes MP compares primary school learning platform to “gamification app” during committee meeting
A Milton Keynes MP has compared a learning platform used by primary schools to a “gamification app” during a meeting of the Government’s Science and Technology Committee.
Emily Darlington, the Labour Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes Central, highlighted concerns around Times Tables Rock Stars, calling the platform, which is used to practice times tables, a “gamification app”, as it rewards children for how long they spend using it.
In response Education Minister Paul Waugh told the committee they were looking to “certify” certain education technology (EdTech) products to make sure they were safe and effective to use.
“We definitely have concerns with gamification,” said the Minister.
“Gamification isn’t the way to learn. That’s the propaganda they will give you, but it is all about driving their screen time and their screen use.
“That’s precisely why, in all these products that we’re looking at, we’re making sure that it’s not about gamification.”
Times Tables Rock Stars describes itself as “an award-winning maths programme designed to help learners build speed, accuracy and confidence with multiplication and division up to 12x12”, and says it is suitable for children aged six years and over.
Mr Waugh raised concerns about gamification after more than 150 clinicians wrote to Ministers last month warning of a “crisis” in children’s physical and developmental health linked to screen-based learning.
The letter said around £900 million a year is spent on EdTech in English schools, but that no product is required to show that it is safe for children’s physical health before a school buys it.
Mr Waugh said: “We know there are so many products coming on the market that schools are going to be tempted by, but there is a danger of there being a wild west of these products.
“Safety certification (is) at the heart of what we’re doing, so we can certify some of these products for schools so they know what they’re using is both safe and effective.”
The Minister said the Government is testing products with teachers and is looking at secondary legislation to inform the Information Commissioner’s Office to produce a new statutory code of practice for EdTech.
Mr Waugh said: “We know that schools want to be certain that what they’re buying from the tech companies is safe, but also whether it’s going to make a real impact.”