PlayStation quiz game could be used in the classroom

It hopes the PlayStation multiple choice quiz game will be used in classrooms to teach the National Curriculum.

The £35 game, called Buzz! Schools edition, was developed with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and uses keypads that enable pupils to choose their answers.

Play is controlled by a teacher who can select which subjects are included and at which level. There are more than 5,000 questions, all based on the National Curriculum. A virtual "quizmaster" guides players though the game.

But critics have attacked Buzz!, claiming teachers should concentrate on traditionalmethods of educating children.

"Video games have hurt far more people than they have helped," said Jack Thompson, a US lawyer and campaigner against video games. "I don't see how they can be of any more benefit than normal teaching."

Educational psychologist Jane Healy claimed computer games fuelled the development of children's "flight or fight" instincts rather than considered reasoning. "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze," she told a Las Vegas conference.

A Children's Department spokesman today defended the use of technology in classrooms, which in recent years have seen the introduction of electronic whiteboards, online exams and even laptops for pupils.

"Technology has the power to transform-teaching and learning - and engage unmotivated pupils and communicate c omplex ideas simply," he said.

"There are many ways in which teachers make learning engaging and entertaining - quizzes and games are a classic example. When combined with traditional teaching methods, they can be a fun way of making key facts and figures stick in the mind."

David Amor, creative director and co-founder of Relentless, which wrote Buzz!, said: "We're incredibly excited about this project.

"Using the buzzers and the quiz format means the game is instantly accessible and works on the basis that kids learn more when they're having fun. Learning games like this will, we hope, give teachers an extra tool in the classroom."

ConnectED, the company selling the game to schools, says it has received praise from teachers. "We have trialled the game across the country and the response has been very good," said spokesman Mark Stimpfig.

"Computer games are already a big part of children's social landscapes and all we have done is re-purpose this game for Key Stage 2 by changing the questions. We have taken out the questions about Madonna and David Beckham and put in questions about everything from punctuation to history."