The man who has demonstrated that playing computer games keeps pupils alert and improves their maths has won an innovation award.

Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Derek Robertson has been awarded a special achievement award by Handheld Learning 2008. The national adviser for emerging technologies received the accolade in recognition of his research into using computer games for education. He was the only Scot on the shortlist, which included Professor Mike Sharples, director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Nottingham, and Angela McFarlane, an educational software designer and professor at Bristol University.

The 40-year-old former Dundee primary teacher said: “I’m pleased our work has gone some way to changing the discourse about the place of games in learning and this award affirms and validates what we are all about.”

The judges said they felt Mr Robertson had made a “significant contribution to supporting improved learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies”.