Yesterday, which was supposed to be a Pro-D day, I attended classes because I could not find an applicable conference to attend. Instead, I had gained great information about education and games.

I have heard of ‘Minecraft’, one of the favored game by young students, as my cousins enjoyed playing this game. Our class described it as ‘human lego’. The characters in this game are block-like and the game looks like a 3D version of the old game set. I assumed probably students who like classical games with game sets and packs would enjoy this. One of the intriguing facts we discussed was the educational version of this game.

In order to grab the attention of the students, the developers modified this game with educational information.

(click the link to go to the page)

This Minecraft Education Edition has various themes such as environment, history, language, computer science, and etc. Students who enjoyed playing this game would apply their knowledge on how to play this game as they learn new lessons from the game.

There were some limitations mentioned; students who are older (late secondary students) might get bored with this game since it has been a long time they released this game and the interest may vary depending on the students’ interests. Some students enjoy playing games but some may not prefer due to the challenges or completing the missions given.

By listening to these ideas, it led me to think what are the different factors to intrigue students by not promoting directly about the lesson but rather naturally get to smudge in with the topic. To think back on my school days, I did not enjoy using a thick big textbook for studying. This resource was not just heavy but gave me pressure that I have to memorize so many terms and definitions. However, I preferred handouts with diagrams and illustrations that support my understanding and small memes given by the teacher. Images tend to remove some of the fear that students have regarding the pressure and anxiety about overwhelming lessons. These emotions could be solved by teachers’ efforts and tactics on the use of pictures or other media that students can relate themselves easily. I have to consider various rules given by schools on using media and games in class but I believe this could motivate students to participate naturally.