The power of Minecraft

primarytechreview
Apr 11
4 min read

Updated: Oct 5

The more I use Minecraft with children, the more potential I think it has in education. This blog post will be one of several exploring some of the ways that Minecraft can be used within the classroom and the benefits it offers.

Starting with pedagogy

Consideration of any technology within schools should be grounded in pedagogy and our educational aims. As teachers, we are concerned with children's development of themselves, including their skills, knowledge and creative expression. Minecraft is an example of technology that can facilitate development in all of these areas.

Skills

One of the main advantages that Minecraft offers is its potential for collaborative work. Children can work in pairs, small groups or as a whole class, realising the possibility of creating something greater than that which they could create on their own.

Through using Minecraft, children can also develop their communication skills. It is inspiring to listen to children who are working on a project together in Minecraft, as they realise that they need to be clear and precise in their communication with each other, as well as negotiate, problem solve and fix errors. Some children will naturally take on leadership and organisation roles and others will be content to follow instructions, however, success in the project will depend of whether groups can communicate effectively.

Strategy and planning are additional skills that children will use and develop through working on Minecraft projects. They will need to prioritise tasks, plan and manage their time and improve work through several iterations in order to be successful.

All of these skills should be discussed with children and form part of children's evaluation of any piece of work done in Minecraft. The fact that all of these skills are needed and practised when working in Minecraft should offer some insight into the value of using collaborative, creative tools such as Minecraft in school.

Knowledge

Thinking of Minecraft as a 3D design tool enables it to be used as a medium for children to express their understanding and ideas about a topic. Designing and building in Minecraft requires a thorough understanding of the topic in question. Children are required to think about the composition, components and proportions of objects they are building and will not succeed unless they have considered these in detail!

Children expressing their knowledge using Minecraft will often work at a level at least as high as if they were working using traditional means of expression. They will engage with each other, as sources of material to ensure that what they create is accurate, realistic and high-quality.

Creativity

Creating in Minecraft can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Minecraft is unique in the creative possibilities it affords - nowhere else can children imagine and build houses, farms, cities, models and more in a relatively short period of time.

Minecraft is one form of creative medium, it should not replace other traditional means of expression such as drawing and physical model making. However, as we will see with some of the examples of work that children can produce in Minecraft, there are times when Minecraft is the best creative platform available to children.

Getting started with Minecraft

There are several versions of Minecraft available to purchase. Three versions of Minecraft are 'Java', 'Bedrock' and 'Education' editions. Java and bedrock are similar, with Bedrock offering more cross-platform play and Java having received updates in some key areas. Schools will almost always wish to purchase Educational edition, which features possibilities for coding, in-built educational activities and tools.

The best way for teachers to learn about Minecraft is to start playing it! Create a new, creative world and start building, using the 'e' key to open the inventory and the numerical keys to select tools from the inventory. Creative worlds are almost always more suitable for education, since they offer unlimited items and remove combat from the game. Hosting a 'flat' world is also often beneficial for class building activities.

Effective practice

As with all class activities, planning and preparation can be the difference between an outstanding learning opportunity and a lost opportunity. Some ways that Minecraft activities can be successful include:

The teachers having tried the project first. This will give the teacher an indication of what can be achieved in the time available. It will also generate useful examples for discussion with the children before they start.
A clearly defined workspace. As mentioned above, a 'flat' world is usually beneficial when working with children in Minecraft. The most successful projects I have done with children have given them a pre-defined space, such as a city wall or road layout to build in. This helps to focus children and give them an idea of scale.
Established rules and success criteria. These should include not destroying someone else's work without permission, completing the building task before adding lots of detail and using appropriate materials. Minecraft is actually a great opportunity for children to practise digital citizenship and discuss implications.