Teaching With Games featured a one-year research project by not-for-profit 'education innovator' Futurelab. Four schools trialled the use of three chart favourites: The Sims 2 and Knights Of Honour from EA and Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 from Atari.

The teachers involved concluded that games could improve pupils’ computer skills, strategic thinking and problem solving. 

The study, which was sponsored by EA and backed by Take 2 and Microsoft, also revealed that games used in the classroom did not have to be fully representative of reality to be useful.

A MORI poll taken as a separate part of the project found 59 per cent of UK teachers wanted to use computer games for educational purposes, and that 53 per cent believed games motivated and engaged students.