Minecraft has definitely taken over the world with the education sector its latest captive. Thanks to the recently concluded Minecraft Con, both educators and students have more reasons to sing praises for this sandbox pixel game. Besides the marketing genius behind Minecraft for education, there are several other reasons why the world of education has become obsessed with it.
First of all, the recent MineCon has revealed a rich variety of activities and projects that make learning more engaging, which is a win-win situation for both sides. For example, Minecraft had teamed up with LEGO and created interactive games that improve students analytical and problem-solving skills. They also built life-sized replicas of Minecraft world, such as tundras and forests, which students can explore. Those who attended received a free code for a redeemable MineCon cape which students can wear in the game.
Features-wise, the game has also a lot to offer to kids and educators. The soon-to-be-released Minecraft:Education has a 'god mode' where teachers can monitor in-game what the students are doing in various worlds without being intrusive. They can also see what students are saying in the in-game chat board. Most of all, teachers can move around and help students when they are facing difficulties in the game.
It also has some sort of motivational tool through its camera and portfolio. Using the camera, students can now take a selfie of themselves and their project or take a screenshot of their projects and save them in the portfolio. They can then export it in any applications they want to use.
Through the game, students have the freedom to unleash their creativity as they build and experiment on a 3D environment. As they give free reign to their creativity, children grow up into creative and innovative adults who are not afraid of thinking outside the box to solve the problems they face.
