Grand Theft Heutagogy: A Reflection on the Utilization of Video Games as a Teaching Tool in the Lecture Theatre

Abstract

This paper explores the utilization of the video game Grand Theft Auto as a unique tool within the lecture theatre to develop contemporary heutagogy. Drawing upon the authors’ personal reflections in the form of an autoethnographic account across a four year period, the challenges and benefits of utilizing the approach within in-person and virtual learning environments is interrogated. Utilizing video games as a means to ensure students are active participants whilst learning complex theoretical paradigms has proven highly beneficial, aiding in the reduction of attainment gaps and wider barriers to learning. So too, the approach has enabled cohorts to disentangle criminological problems whilst being empowered to question the nature of public criminology within contemporary discourse. Active engagement with video games whilst in the lecture theatre, by both students and lecturers, has enabled a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.