Not long ago I was interviewed via email by a journalist who was writing an article about the possible educational benefits and uses of Minecraft weighed against parental concerns about it (which aren’t really about Minecraft, per se, but about the temporal black hole that video games, in general, can be). The article has just gone live today at http://national.deseretnews.com/article/1498/Could-Minecraft-help-kids-get-smarter.html#. Mr. Wecker’s quotation of our interview, though brief, captures the core of what I think on the subject. Minecraft can be an amazing tool for education. One of the specific things that I emphasized in the interview that didn’t make it into the article concerns the way mods can be used to enhance and realize Minecraft nascent educational potential. Tech mods like Industrial Craft very often are based (albeit sometimes loosely) on real-world technology and science. I’ve recently learned quite a lot about geology from playing mods like Underground Biomes and Terrafirmacraft. As I wrote to Mr. Wecker, I would like to see modders think creatively about writing mods that are intentionally educational. Below is what I wrote to Mr. Wecker in full. I think it merits a blog post.
From my email correspondence with Mr. Wecker
“I think Minecraft has a lot of potential as a teaching tool. At the most basic level, it is a medium for free or directed creative expression, which, I think, is largely under-appreciated in elementary education. Kids learn best by playing. Continue reading
Mine, build, eat, repeat ... 