Samuel Horti looks at the question of using Minecraft as an educational tool. Does it really help? Or is it a gimmick that gets in the way of real learning?
The topic of Minecraft in schools sparks a lot of passion on both sides of the debate: some teachers, academics, and Microsoft itself believe that Minecraft can change the way children learn. By giving kids lessons inside a tool that they’re excited about, they will learn more, the argument goes. But Bennett and others say that in-game lessons hinder children’s learning by distracting from the subject matter at hand. The question is: how do we know who’s right?
Well worth a look. It’s quite a fair exploration, debating positive anecdotal evidence versus the need for real research into whether it’s genuinely good for teaching.
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Seamus runs Byteside. You may also have spotted his words at the Australian Financial Review, the ABC, Junkee, Gamespot, The Esports Observer, CNET, Gizmodo and a few other spots over the years. He's very happy that he gets to nerd out for a living.
