This document discusses the educational benefits of the game Minecraft. It provides an overview of Minecraft including its history, gameplay modes, use of redstone for circuitry, and examples of user-created worlds. Minecraft allows players to take on new roles, problem solve, and learn in interactive virtual worlds. The document also mentions Minecraft EDU, a program that aims to expand game-based learning into classrooms using Minecraft. Computational thinking skills can be developed by programming mods within Minecraft.

1. Emerging Technology Project
By: Ashley Cross

3. “Yes, they are fun, but [games] also allow players a
chance to take on new roles and experience worlds in
which they learn and problem solve. [The best] games
offer something new to students -- entire worlds in
which learners are central, important participants -
worlds where what they know is directly related to what
they are able to do and, ultimately, ”
-Barab et al, 2009

4. CONSTRUCTIONISM:
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Constructionism shares constructivism’s
connotation of learning as ‘building
knowledge structures’ It then adds the
idea that this happens especially
felicitously in a context where the learner
is engaged in constructing a public entity.
-Seymour Papert, Mindstorms

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhYLe4Q-IU
Minecraft Intro

6. HISTORY OF MINECRAFT
• First created in 2009 by Markus “Notch” Persson
• Published by the Swedish company Mojang
• Purchased by Microsoft for $2.5 billion on
November 6, 2014
• Over 54 million copies sold across platforms to date

7. GAMEPLAY
• Survival mode
• Creative mode
• Adventure mode- experience user-crafted custom
maps
• Spectator mode

8. REDSTONE: CIRCUITRY IN
MINECRAFT
Equivalent
to
electricity
in
Minecraft

13. Printer inside Minecraft

15. Working Computer
This one can load 16 lines of code into "RAM" (memory), perform
division and display hexadecimal notation.

16. EXAMPLES
OF USER-
CREATED
WORLDS

17. http://youtube.com/watch?v=KGSis8cA49o
Disney World Server

23. How big is Minecraft?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v2_WiQH7Tc

24. MINECRAFT EDU
• “We are an independent game development
company started by three teachers and
programmers from the United States and Finland.
Our mission is to expand game-based learning into
classrooms worldwide.”
• Online community with resources and support for
educators

28. Computational
Thinking + Minecraft
= Programming
Mods

29. MOD DESIGN VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTmMYGfZa8o

30. 3D PRINTING CREATIONS FROM
MINECRAFT

32. Questions?