Changes: Added context to originality pictures, combined the two pedagogies together to discuss how it encourages learning
CC BY 2.0 Jeremy Segal
Minecraft in Education?
Minecraft Education is a sandbox game that uses experiential learning, inventiveness and problem-solving to progress through educators' custom-made lessons or endure the survival gameplay (Baek et al., 2020). Within Minecraft, teachers encourage students to display creative innovation through inquiry-based learning.
Fostering Creativity
Minecraft Education has endless potential to foster students' creativity through its open-ended gameplay. This is seen below with Minecraft's many construction and design options, allowing students to experiment with materials to enhance their design thinking (Spendlove, 2008).
CC 2.0 Jeremy Segal
Redstone Mechanisms
Students foster creativity to solve problems by manipulating electrical currents and mechanics of 'redstone'. Through trial-and-error methods, students can test and operate machinery, including block-moving pistons and lights, to creatively solve problems involving ingenuity (Dezuanni et al., 2015). For example, below, I have utilised the prompt of using redstone to create a secret base, which can complete English outcome EN1-CWT-01 to design the setting in a story. Through using creativity and trial and error, I created a secret flush entrance and a toggleable light switch to enhance my own secret base.
CC BY 2.0 Jeremy Segal
Builds
Minecraft: Education fosters creativity through using little-c creativity to demonstrate design freedom (Beghetto, 2013). By using blocks with different functions to create 3D designs, students can analyse and evaluate their materials to meet learning intentions (Bower, 2017, p. 95). For example, below, I have utilised Stage 1's geography outcome ACHGK006 to demonstrate how different cultures interact with seasons, utilising my conceptual knowledge about culture while displaying my understanding.
CC BY 2.0 Jeremy Segal
Pedagogies within Minecraft Education
Constructivism and Inquiry-based learning Constructivist pedagogy and inquiry-based learning allow students to create and evaluate their knowledge through independent problem-solving and personalisation designs, as seen in the model below. Through effective pre-made or teacher-constructed lessons within Minecraft Education, students can utilise constructivist design thinking, analysis of prior knowledge and evaluation of design to effectively solve problems (Nkadimeng & Ankiewicz, 2022).
The pedagogies allow students to consolidate their learning while increasing confidence in self-assessment and capabilities to experiment with designs.
Limitations
However, distractions and task difficulties may hinder students' progress to achieve learning outcomes as maintaining attention due to Minecraft: Education's addictiveness may result in deviancy from the task. Furthermore, teachers' lack of control may result in students avoiding the task and playing independently, failing to complete the outcome.
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 Beghetto, R. A. (2013). Fundamentals of creativity. ASCD, 70(5), 10–15. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/fundamentals-of-creativity Bile, A. (2022). Development of intellectual and scientific abilities through game-programming in Minecraft. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10894-z Bower, M. (2017). Design of Technology-Enhanced Learning (2nd ed., Vol. 1, p. 95). Emerald Group Publishing. Checa-Romero, M., & Pascual-Gómez, I. (2018). Minecraft and Machinima in action: development of creativity in the classroom. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 27(5), 625–636. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939x.2018.1537933 Dezuanni, M., O’Mara, J., & Beavis, C. (2015). “Redstone is like electricity”: Children’s performative representations in and around Minecraft. E-Learning and Digital Media, 12(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753014568176 Nkadimeng, M., & Ankiewicz, P. (2022). The affordances of Minecraft Education as a game-based learning tool for atomic structure in junior high school science education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-022-09981-0 Phenomenal Science. (2017 7). Research-Based theories and models, part 1 - constructivism. Phenomenal Science K-5 Curriculum. http://phenomscience.weebly.com/blog/constructivism Spendlove, D. (2008). Creativity in education: A review. Design and Technology Education, 10(2), 9–14.
Hi Jeremy,
This is a really great blog. I particularly enjoyed the part where you embedded a video with your post. This is really informative and really helps me see that Minecraft is actually a really good technology to use and implement into my own classroom one day to help students be more creative and explore in the classroom within their learning. I think your blog was set up nicely and easy to read!
Shira Charif (09/03/2023)
Hi Jeremy,
I really thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. It was very well thought out and backed up extremely well with research. I really like how you have consistently linked the use of Minecraft education directly to pedagogies, this very clearly indicates to teachers why Minecraft will be beneficial in their classrooms. I know it has definitely made me excited to implement it into my lessons when I am a teacher. For the future, linking more to the NSW syllabus will indicate even further why Minecraft education should be used in the classroom. Overall, An amazing blog that I really enjoyed reading. Great Job.
Olivia Spanswick (09/03/2023)
Hi Jeremy, this is a really informative blog!
The inclusion of the clip at the beginning was a great way to introduce your blog and as well give readers a quick run through the key advantages of Minecraft in fostering creativity. I especially enjoyed the use of the redstone mechanisms as an example of one of the ways Minecraft can contribute to fostering creativity, perhaps even adding in which subject a lesson like this would be suitable for or in which section of the syllabus this example would fit perfectly into would’ve been great to see. Overall a great read!
Thank you,
8/03/2023
Hello Jeremy,
I found your blog really interesting and your website easy to navigate. You have chosen an interesting topic and I cannot wait to allow my students to explore their creativity skills through the Minecraft game. You have used a great range of videos and images to describe how Minecraft is used. I really like how you linked appropriate pedagogies and theories which support Minecraft education and highlight how creativity is fostered.
I really would have liked to see Minecraft can be explicitly used within a classroom setting and would have liked to see some curriculum links. It would have also been great to see some negatives associated with Minecraft so that teachers are aware of both, the positiv…
Hi Jeremy,
Your blog was easy to navigate and jammed packed full of information. I underestimated the way Minecraft can be used in a classroom. The youtube clip help clarifies what you were stating below in regard to fostering creativity. Also, I did not know about the Redstone mechanisms that's really cool! I would have liked to know a little more about the limitations of Minecraft that a person may encounter when teaching.
Thank you,
Alicia xerri 07.03.23