Minecraft: Education Edition
Playing games at school or in the library when you aren’t supposed to. A lot of us have seen or experienced this scenario either as the student, or as the educator. But what if there was a program available that combined one of the most popular games ever made, with eduction, teaching and learning? I recently reviewed ‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ to investigate whether this was the type of educative game that could achieve this balance.
In a rapidly changing technological world, emerging technologies, like Minecraft EE, are becoming more accepted and recognised as an electronic resource for learning. Minecraft: Education Edition is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination (“What is Minecraft,” 2020). Like its original version, Minecraft EE helps develop and foster many critical thinking skills.
What did I learn?
Personally, reviewing Minecraft EE transported me back to both primary and high school school to a time when I was very disinterested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects, preferring to read a book or write a story. I found it difficult to become interested in or response to the very one-dimensional textbook based learning that was mainly employed. The implementation of innovative games like Minecraft EE allow even struggling or reluctant learners to have an opportunity to build various structures that look to reinforce topics such as area, volume and parameter, as well as simultaneously keeping them interested with social science influences (Baek et al., 2020, p. 7).
Minecraft EE allows for a more interesting game-based approach to lessons, taking advantage of the technological world we live in (Baek et al., 2020, p. 2). However, this isn’t to say that education should rely solely on game-based learning, yet instead, become supplementary to it and a tool helpful for both teachers and students.
The understanding that not all students suit all subjects and topics and therefore require alternative, modern and innovative solutions will be useful for me in my professional practice working with children and young adults. Through reviewing Microsoft EE I have learnt that it is widely celebrated and used, with access in one hundred and fifteen countries, and more than two million users in 2017 (Thorp-Lancaster, 2017 in Baek et al., 2020, p. 1). Gaps in my knowledge were revealed when studying this topic in the sense that I have not yet had the opportunity to teach many programs in regard to emerging technologies and therefore must expand my knowledge when it comes to digital materials. While I have played and enjoyed the original Minecraft, I will try out the Education Edition and immerse and familiarise myself with the different features.
As more and more technologies emerge and advance the way in which young people and children learn, games like Minecraft EE will continue to be integrated into many education settings including schools, libraries and computer labs. Most importantly, interfaces like Minecraft EE will continue to be successful as they reduce the tension between knowledge characteristics of the game, and formal education systems (Baek et al., 2020, p. 13).
References
Baek, Y., Min, E., & Yun, S. (2020). Mining educational implications of Minecraft. Computers in the Schools, 37(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2020.1719802
Minecraft: Education Edition. (2020). What is Minecraft. https://education.minecraft.net/how-it-works/what-is-minecraft
Renda, A. (2020). Minecraft: Education edition. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/game/minecraft-education-edition