Minecraft as a Creative Tool

Abstract

Many scholars are enthusiastic about the potential learning opportunities present in the sandbox-style gaming environment, Minecraft. In the following case study, the authors explored the use of Minecraft in a high school literature class and the presentation of characterization and plot in three student-made machinima, or films made in the game world. The authors demonstrate that Minecraft offers a unique opportunity for students to display their creativity and understanding of concepts in ways that are more feasible than if they were attempted in the "real" world. It is also relevant to point out that the epistemology associated Minecraft is constructionist in its nature, which implicates a different style of instruction than is typically employed in the U.S. classroom. The authors pose some questions about the diffusion of games like Minecraft in the future, based on their discussion of similar technologies in the past.

Com-educational Platforms: Creativity and Community for Learning

“…The transformations of language (Martín, 2008) and learning (Pereira, Fillol, & Moura, 2019) synthesized by Gee and Hayes (2011) solidify in the educational proposals analyzed in the platforms. We are in agreement with Cipollone et al (2014) in noticing a clear influence of constructivism, not only in Minecraft, but in all the proposals reviewed. Also, there is Table 5 Implementation of creative media praxis Creative media praxis MCE The student becomes part of the selected world through an avatar (subjective plane).…”

“…The scientific literature recognizes significant contributions from these platforms. Thus, in the case of Scratch, the programming and the development of knowledge is recognized (Franklin et al, 2013;Tondeur et al, 2012), and in Minecraft Education's proposal, Cipollone, Schifter, and Moffat (2014) argue that it offers a unique opportunity for students to show their creativity and their comprehension in ways that are more tangible than if they were conducted in the "real world".…”

Design and Evaluation of a Gamified e-Learning System for Statistics Learning Activities

“…Unlimited attempts are possible, allowing students to perform several learning activities with the same parameters. This approach creates a sandbox-style game, meaning there is no linear narrative structure that guides the students [18], only the gamification elements defined in the next subsection. When students finish an activity test, instant feedback is offered with their activity performance result (AP) and achievements.…”

Quels apports éducatifs du jeu vidéo Minecraft en éducation ? Résultats d’une recherche exploratoire menée auprès de 118 élèves du primaire

“…Ce jeu permettrait donc l'apprentissage de la technologie, du travail d' équipe et de la construction (Overby et Jones, 2015), grâce notamment à la créativité qu'il permet de stimuler chez les élèves (Moffat, Crombie et Shabalina, 2017). Il représente finalement une opportunité unique pour les joueurs de se montrer créatifs et de comprendre des concepts plus aisément réalisables d'une manière virtuelle que dans la vie réelle (Cipollone, Schifter et Moffat, 2014). Ce jeu permettrait donc le développement d'apprentissages scolaires, ce qui permettrait de répondre à notre premier sous-objectif, mais il serait aussi susceptible de développer des apprentissages et des aptitudes extrascolaires.…”