Can Minecraft be educational for my kids?

As a parent, we think you’ll probably be aware of the time guzzling, blockbuilding 3D world of Minecraft. How could you not? Your kid probably spends more time on it than actually talking to you! But what if Minecraft was a gateway to learning? Well,  very clever people around the world are using it to teach all kinds of subjects, from archeology and history, to 3D design and coding…

The game inherently has a number of passive benefits to young people;

• It pushes their imaginations to the limit and allowing them to be creative in ways not possible in the real world.
• Inherently about problem-solving, the game can inspire students’ higher-level and critical thinking.
• Minecraft is also a very social game, where students can rely on other players for help in the sometimes-unforgiving Minecraft world, teaching collaboration and teamwork in a way that’s more organic than, say, being assigned to work together on a project. Students who might not get along in the real world can become allies in the Minecraft world.

Building Worlds

Studies published over the past two decades support the idea that video games can increase students’ spatial knowledge, improving their aptitude for math and science. It’s also an implicit way for them to develop self-regulation skills that then transfer to offline spaces—through having this freedom to create on Minecraft, they learn how to identify and work towards offline goals like finishing course work.

From sky high tower blocks, to recreations of entire cities, where minecraft gets interesting is its creative build mode, where multiple users can work together to create monumental structures that require basic engineering skills to work. Users can also use ‘Redstone’, a type of Minecraft electricity based on Boolean algebra, to create working inventions, perfect for budding engineers.

Engaging Teaching Tool

At a higher level, some are looking at Minecraft as a technology-teaching tool, particularly in computer science and computer-aided design (CAD), both critical building blocks for the emerging maker movement of 3D printing, amateur electronic design and high-tech craft.

Other uses include;

• Teaching Java and other coding languages through Minecraft using MCEdit. The reward for this is complete control over the environment, something  very appealing to young players.
• Looking at biomes and communities of plants and animals. In Minecraft, Biomes are created by the map generator and display Different heights, temperatures (indicated by leaf color, Water color, presence or absence of water or desert), humidities and foliage.
• Have students write how-to guides for building structures, mining, fighting monsters, and other in-game activities.Students can write day-in-the life journal entries about their characters, making up back stories for their characters. Who are they, and how did they end up alone in the Minecraft world?

What Next?

This Summer we have a number of workshops and courses that use Minecraft as a learning tool, teaching collaborative skills, coding and hardware in a way that young people can really connect with. Click the links below to find out more about our Big Tech Summer program events involving Minecraft…

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Real world Minecraft

Use hardware like motors and microcontrollers and activate them with actions in Minecraft. Electronics combined with blockbuilding fun!

Team Minecraft

Collaborate of Minecraft EDU to excavate dinosaurs, build elaborate traps or invent with a team of up to 16

Raspberry Minecraft

Learn to code with MC Edit on the Raspberry Pi micro computer