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The Educational Value of Minecraft

Understanding the educational value of Minecraft is essential for your child’s learning. Discover how Minecraft can unleash your child’s potential.

  Key Points at a Glance:

  • Swedish and American schools use Minecraft to teach urban planning and science subjects like chemistry.
  • Players fully engaged in playing Minecraft enter a “flow state” that is conducive for advanced learning.
  • Minecraft fosters digital literacy among young players.
  • Playing Minecraft allows children to express themselves creatively.

Video games can spur a slew of skeptic comments among parents. Attached to these games are many negative connotations such as addiction and violence.

Because of this, it’s easy to dismiss the educational value of video games developed for children, such as Minecraft. In fact, Minecraft is used not only to entertain children but also help them learn science and even express themselves.  

Here’s a closer look at the educational value of Minecraft and how it can help your kids learn more as they play.

Integration into Education

Educational value becomes more tangible in a school setting. Minecraft has been playing an integral role in some schools in the U.S, Canada and even in Sweden in Europe. 

These educational institutions use Minecraft to teach a range of subjects. One example is urban planning, which fosters spatial reasoning and creativity.

Minecraft also mirrors many elements of science subjects. It has chemistry features such as tables and compounds that players can work with. For instance, the game has a feature called “Lab Table.” 

With this feature, players can craft elements and experiment on compounds. There are also chemistry-related items such as an element constructor and a material reducer. 

Pathway to Advanced Learning

Parents often worry when their child is engrossed in a video game for hours. Many video games do capture the attention of young players, but in Minecraft’s case, it’s not a bad thing. In fact, with proper supervision, it can lead to a more advanced state of learning.

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist, players enter a “flow state” when engaged in a game. This state, also called “the zone,”  is conducive for a learning experience.

How does “the zone” harness advanced learning? When players have a mission at hand, they go through a series of tasks. These tasks vary in difficulty and demand a certain set of skills. During gameplay, these tasks test their skills and ability to strategize to win.

In addition, the structured and balanced usage of Minecraft could also increase the potential of students to learn and solve problems. 

A Building Block for Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is an indispensable asset to future-proof your child’s career. Apart from helping children navigate the online terrain, digital literacy also helps in child development.

For example, it shapes children’s sense of agency at a young age. Minecraft allows players to go into multiplayer mode in certain gameplays. This means that your child has to play on their own to succeed in a game.

In these situations, your child develops independence, self-resiliency, and personal management. They also learn how to use resources to work to their advantage.

A game for Creative Freedom and Expression

Players build their own worlds in Minecraft. They can choose between a flat world and an infinite world. Building the rest of the world’s unique traits is all up to them.

There are three gameplay modes in Minecraft: Adventure, Survival, and Creative. All these modes allow a certain level of creativity.

For example, in Creative mode, players have an infinite number of resources. This is why some players use the game to build houses or replicate landmarks.

In Survival mode, you have to gather resources as you play. Players also have a set number of lives that reduce if they’re hurt. This setup forces the players to get resources to build their own safehouse or set traps.

In Adventure mode, players can explore different maps and marvel at the creations that other players have made. This can inspire them in their own world-building, helping them harness their creativity.

Recognizing the educational value and benefits of Minecraft helps young players foster their skills. Let Minecraft become a tool, not a distraction, to improve your kids knowledge across various subjects.

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Bibliography

DigMinecraft. (n.d.). Chemistry in Minecraft. https://www.digminecraft.com/chemistry_elements/index.php 

Karsenti, Thierry. (2019, April 21). Minecraft can increase problem solving, collaboration and learning – yes, at school. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/minecraft-can-increase-problem-solving-collaboration-and-learning-yes-at-school-113335

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