Minecraft in Education
One of my current research projects involves using the video game Minecraft to teach social studies. This summer I invited a group of 13 students in grades 5-7 to participate in a weeklong camp in which they played the MinecraftEdu version of the game. With the help of undergraduate students at Augustana I developed a world in the game designed to help students understand the causes of success and failure of a civilization. The students had to search for clues in the game about what caused the collapse of the civilization, develop a theory supported by evidence, and then create their own civilization applying what they learned. My students and I are currently analyzing the data we collected, but our initial impressions are that the game was very effective in helping students grasp social studies concepts. The students definitely enjoyed the experience, despite the fact that we imposed certain rules on the game in order to focus on learning rather than "just having fun." Stay tuned for more on this project...
One of my current research projects involves using the video game Minecraft to teach social studies. This summer I invited a group of 13 students in grades 5-7 to participate in a weeklong camp in which they played the MinecraftEdu version of the game. With the help of undergraduate students at Augustana I developed a world in the game designed to help students understand the causes of success and failure of a civilization. The students had to search for clues in the game about what caused the collapse of the civilization, develop a theory supported by evidence, and then create their own civilization applying what they learned. My students and I are currently analyzing the data we collected, but our initial impressions are that the game was very effective in helping students grasp social studies concepts. The students definitely enjoyed the experience, despite the fact that we imposed certain rules on the game in order to focus on learning rather than "just having fun." Stay tuned for more on this project...