Valve launches free educational tools based on Portal 2

Valve has collaborated with educators to create a set of free learning tools called Teach With Portals.

The tools were designed by teachers with help from Valve's designers, based on the recently released Portal 2 Puzzle Maker. The aim is to promote S.T.E.M. - science, technology, engineering and maths - education.

"The educational version of our Puzzle Maker empowers students and educators to craft unique puzzles, explore worlds, and share custom lesson plans," a statement on the initiative's website reads. "Teachers can also simply leverage other contributor's shared lessons, selecting among the best of them to suit their learners' needs."

Teach With Portals is available to download for free now. Anybody who signs up will also gain access to a Valve Education forum, which will host debate and discussion on the use of video game technology in the class room.