This week combines education with a Digital Technology I am more than familiar with – Minecraft.
As a parent of children across the spectrum of ages, I am very much aware of how big a part gaming plays in modern lives. As previously discussed in “Week 3 – ActivInspire: frustratingly uninspiring.” and “Week 4 – Exploring Coding with ScratchJr (and thinking about the Attainment Gap) the inclusion of multimodal texts and the “gamification” of learning are now regular features of modern education. Incorporating the positive aspects of “gaming” with which children are familiar encourages them to engage with learning and develop a host of skills both personal and educational. Problem- solving elements allow children to learn from instant feedback (World Government Summit, 2016) and this type of interaction allows for easy inclusion in creative activities.
Without a doubt, the most enduring game I have experienced is “Minecraft”. Unlike many other games where there is a beginning, an ending and a prescribed story to follow, “Minecraft” is an endless world of infinite possibilities. There are elements of traditional gaming possible however those can be removed, and the experience can become solely one of development, incorporating many aspects of the curriculum. Launched in 2011 it has become a global phenomenon, appealing to both children and adults and its adaptation for educational purposes saw its inclusion across the curriculum, encompassing subjects such history and languages as well as those which may more traditionally be associated with gaming; such as coding (Marsh and Spiller, 2015). Incorporating the curriculum with media such as Minecraft means that lessons are no longer lessons as we know them; they are now Quests. No longer need children be switched off and “bored” by single-subject learning (Corbett, 2010). The curriculum can be interwoven to produce learning and development the student doesn’t even know is happening. As Corbett (2010, pg. 3) suggests: “What if, instead of seeing school the way we’ve known it, we saw it for what our children dreamed it might be: a big, delicious video game?”
The video below offers a good insight into how Minecraft can be utilised in learning.
https://youtu.be/aH1v-e9Epnc
So, what did we do with Minecraft?
I am very familiar with Minecraft. Well, I’m very familiar with hearing all about Minecraft and making encouraging parental noises at what my children produce using Minecraft! My 15-year-old son has his eyes set on a career in Architecture and Minecraft is a valuable tool in helping him develop his design skills. I can manage the very basic principles of operating Minecraft, but the more complex structures require learning the concepts of “Crafting”. Unfortunately, this is where I revert to my “Lost Tourist” status. While this is an issue for me, I do not think it would necessarily be so for children who meet Prensky’s definition of being “Digital Natives” (Prensky, 2001). In my experience, modern children pick up the methods necessary for operating digital games almost intuitively. Indeed, Gee (2007) notes that those who interact with games often do so without first consulting any instruction, they simply learn through interaction. He further suggests that this can be compared to traditional learning where students require a visual and practical context before written information makes sense. I can certainly identify with that statement as I have found similar difficulties when engaging with prescribed “pre-reading” for course subjects. I much prefer to evaluate information after I have had practical input and find learning more effective using this method.
As I did not particularly find the practical use of Minecraft easy or sufficiently engaging I chose instead to focus on the ways in which it could be utilised in learning. Identifying appealing cross-curricular scenarios in which Minecraft could be incorporated. In group discussion, we again identified that there was potential for Minecraft to be used in topic work e.g. “Design you own Egyptian Tomb.” Or “Build your Dream Home.” One group member produced a mind-map, taking note of all our discussion interactions and points. We used the mind map to evaluate our findings and set about producing the type of planning document we will go on to use in further Placement experience.
- EXA 2-03a: “I can create and present work that shows developing skill in using the visual elements and concepts.”
- EXA 2-05a: “Inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through activities within art and design.”
- EXA 2-06a: “I can develop and communicate my ideas, demonstrating imagination and presenting at least one possible solution to a design problem.”
- MNU 2-11a: “I can use my knowledge of the size of familiar objects or places to assist me when making an estimate of measure.”
- LIT 2-09a: “When listening and talking with others I can:
- Share information, experiences and opinions.
- Explain processes and ideas.
- Identify issues raised and summarise main points or findings.
- Clarify points by asking questions or asking others to say more.”
- SOC 2-10a: “Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit.”
- TCH 2-09a: “I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models.”
- TCH 2-10a: “I can recognise basic properties and uses for a variety of materials and can discuss which ones are most suitable for a given task.”
And finally…
It has been good, this week, to work on a topic which I can relate to on both a personal and professional level. As a mother, I know how the use of Minecraft influences my own children’s lives and future aims and as a student teacher, I can see how useful it can be in education. A more reflective than practical stop on the journey but equally as valuable.
References
- Corbett, S. (2010) Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom. [Online] Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html [Accessed 7 March 2019].
- Gee, J. P. (2007) What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Marsh, S. and Spiller, L. (2015) Three ways to use Minecraft imaginatively in the classroom. [Online] Available: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/apr/07/three-ways-minecraft-classroom [Accessed: 7 March 2019].
- Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. [Online] Vol.9 (No. 5). Available: https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf [Accessed: 7 March 2019].
- World Government Summit (2016) Gamification and the Future of Education. [Online] Available: https://www.worldgovernmentsummit.org/api/publications/document?id=2b0d6ac4-e97c-6578-b2f8-ff0000a7ddb6 [Accessed: 7 March 2019].
