Minecraft EDU: Educational gaming platform taught to the future world

Abstract

The world of education is evolving beyond the book, the chalkboard, and the in-class essay. That isn’t to say that these educational devices are defunct, quite the opposite! The traditional model of education has been successful, and will be successful in education people in the classics of education. However, today is a time of rapidly evolving knowledge, particularly in the field of computer science. Because of this, teachers and students are encountering obstacles that the traditional world of education has not encountered yet, or perhaps will never encounter. Knowledge like computer programming is highly academic in the traditional sense of the word: there is a rote component, a finite base of knowledge, and a set standard of methods and products. Teaching these aspects of programming is not the problem, for the difficulty of instructing programming is preparing students for problems that no one person can present, teaching the intuition and the expertise that allows a programmer to see something that has never been seen by human eyes, or to find a solution that no one in human history had yet thought of. Because of this component of novelty, I have decided to dedicate this year to the study of one such method that hopes to breach the gap between traditional “read-write-repeat” educations. That is education through gaming.

Why an educational gaming platform?

Fluid intelligence, regardless if it is called creativity, expertise, experience, intuition, or a hunch has been praised throughout the history of education. With the rapid growth of technology racing the abilities of the human mind, not only does the education system prepare students for fluid thinking, there must be a component of fluidity to the method of education. Minecraft EDU, a Minecraft computer game platform created by Teacher Gaming, offers a teacher the opportunity to convey knowledge in an interactive, free form environment that is not limited by the innate talents of the teacher or the coursework. Computer science, specifically interacting in a virtual world, programming to create those worlds, and navigating an increasingly technological world, has now become a vital part of the traditional sense of literacy. In an attempt to convey foundational computer science skills with long-lasting impressions of discovery and fun, I will be teaching using the Minecraft EDU program and a independently-developed curriculum.

How do you measure gaming?

Students will be consistently measured against three criteria: Function, Component Use, and Creativity. The adjustment of these three primary areas of measure will occur with each assignment. Function is defined as the assignments successful completion of the prompted task. For example, a student is tasked with building a circuit that turns on a light. If the circuit completes this task, that student will receive credit. Component Use references the skilled application of the concepts introduced during class. If a student is asked to build a light that flashes via a clock circuit, using a clock circuit will receive credit. Finally, Creativity is assessed as the students ability to pursue novel solutions not presented during class. For each assignment, I will assist the students by building a demonstration model that presents one solution to the prompt. Creativity is earned when a student discovers an alternative solution, or improves upon the current solution.

The tools for success

• The necessary resources for this Minecraft EDU class are:

• Enough Laptops or computers to allow individual access by all members of the class

• A single server machine, either a laptop, computer, or server blade, to host the Minecraft EDU classroom

• A curriculum developed to integrate gaming into the presentation of a pre-determined base of knowledge

• A working knowledge of Minecraft the game

• A working knowledge of Minecraft EDU the platform

• Real-world applications and examples to augment the virtual presentations

Impact on a individual, local, and global stage

Game based education is gaining momentum in academia because it plays to the fluid, interactive, and creative side of learning. At HPA, the Minecraft EDU class represents a fundamental shift in the way knowledge is presented, constituting the first time a course has ever been taught almost exclusively within the context of a game and by a student. This class acts as a model for future education styles, as well as the first iteration of an ongoing process to improve education with new methods. Not only does this class aim to serve the students, it provides a foundation on which other educational alternatives can be explored. On the larger stage, HPA joins a community of thinkers around the world taking new approaches towards academics in the race to make literate the world of computer users.

What happens after?

This course is driven primarily by the enthusiasm and dedication of the instructor. Because there is very little material that exists to fall back on, new and creative activities and solutions are a daily requirement when teaching this class. For that reason, I have chosen my top students to continue working in the field of computer science in hopes that they will teach this course after my time at HPA has elapsed. I am placing these students in a teachers assistant position, enabling them to explore their styles of instruction as well as their areas of discomfort or improvement in the field of teaching. I hope to educate these individuals, as well as others, such that Minecraft in school does not leave with a single individual, but rather endures to become an essential part of the HPA educational experience.

Update to 1.7.10 build 13!

The time has come to update our game beyond the historic confines of Minecraft 1.6.4. This will need to be done both on your in-class computer as well as your computers at home. I am available all the time for help via email or text.

Step 1: Java

The whole reason for this update is the incompatibility between Java 8 and the older Minecraft Edu versions. As of April of this year, Oracle (Java people) are discontinuing updates and maintenance of Java 7, and have urged all users to make the transition as soon as possible. So here we are!

The first thing you will need to do is update (or install if you don't already have it) java. This is accomplished by navigating to the Java Download Page. Clicking the big red "install button will update or install java after a couple of additional installation clicks. MAKE SURE that you are installing version

Version 8 Update 31 of java and no a different or earlier version.

Step 2: The Game

Minecraft Edu has a built-in update page that is accesible right from the app. When you first open the game, "Updates" is the bottom tab. Clicking this will bring up another window that contains all the update information.

You will want to select 1.7.10 build 13 (development, download required) on the top pull-down menu. After entering the credentials of the class (provided by Jody, Kai, Bill, or myself), you will begin the installation process for the update.

Once installed, run Minecraft Edu normally. The game should be functioning perfectly. However, you will have to connect to the servers by typing in the adress instead of it being saved in the game.

Video Help

Below is a video tutorial outlining the update process for both java and Minecraft Edu. This should help with all the above info. Good luck! Email ro text me for additional help.

-To be added

Unit 3: Advanced Redstone Circuitry and Logic

Unit 3

Unit 2: Building and Basic Redstone

Unit 2

Minecraft EDU

An Application of Gaming in the classroom

Miller White

Minecraft is commonly thought of as a simple game played by all age levels for entertainment. However, the individuals at Minecraft EDU have recognized that such a dynamic virtual environment as the game presents could be used for education. This idea of teaching through games is the core of the Freshman Computer Science Course at Hawaii Preparatory Academy during the 2014-2015 school year.

Setup

Teaching with a game requires a body of knowledge and resources not usually found in the standard classroom. The physical requirements include

• Fully functioning computers for every student in the class
• A Responsive and malleable wireless or wired network
• A Host machine on which to base the server

In addition, the instructor must have an advanced, active knowledge of the processes of the game and a working knowledge of other areas of computer technology. The combination of these two information bases allows the instructor to play the game well with his or her students and link the activities in the game to real life. With specific reference to Minecraft and Minecraft EDU, this includes:

• Skilled usage of the control mechanisms innate in the Minecraft EDU Mod
• Skilled maneuvering in the customization of the virtual environment
• Applications of construction skills (i.e. build planning, resource awareness, stylistic development, etc.)
• Application and practice of Redstone Circuits and Logic
• Online management and the creation of a "fun yet effective" work environment

The crux of such a class and an individual(s) heading it is to use the addictive, innately enjoyable experience of gaming to motivate high efficacy in teaching complex computing ideas.

Application

HPA has allowed me, Miller White, and the students a unique opportunity to bring such a class into fruition. With the help of Dr. Bill Wiecking, The Energy Lab hosts a group of freshman students on the first adventure into game-curriculum. The class also contains aspects of computer science independent of Minecraft and Minecraft EDU, however the core of the class is centered around an online environment in the game. An in-depth description of the content, plan, and purpose of the class can be found on the Abstract.

Our Setup in class consists of a high-power Apple Xserve server blade that runs an online server 24/7 that the students can access during and outside of class. This server is administrated by Dr. Bill and myself, controlled via remote desktop from an on-campus computer. The students are all equipped with 2009 Macbook Pro laptops that are connected to a local and isolated wireless network. This amazing technology and the building it is located in only adds to the experience of the class, and allows us to reach as far as we are willing into the world of game-based teaching.

What Are We Doing?

The curriculum of the class is broken down into units, where each unit focuses on a skill or set of skills to be learned. Click the links below to navigate to each units posts.

Unit 1: Installation and Unix Navigation

Unit 2: Building and Basic Redstone

Unit 3: Advanced Redstone Circuitry and Logic