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Chapter 10
Beyond Button Smashing:
Utilizing Minecraft and Other Video
Games as Synchronous Learning
Tools for Science Learning

Sherry Yi
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

ABSTRACT
This chapter is a literature review on synchronous learning in science classrooms
primarily focused on the video game Minecraft (MC). The author argues that video
games can and have been used as synchronous learning tools and as a means of live
communication in the classroom. First, the author briefly discusses the historical
foundations that has led to the modern video game industry to what it is today.
Second, uses of MC and other video games in science classrooms are reviewed.
This chapter also provides practical advice to education practitioners on ways to
utilize video games and available lesson plans as a tool in science classrooms and
offers researchers valuable insight on using video games as a means of expanding
on their own research interests and projects.

INTRODUCTION

While some people believe that video games should remain at home, others have
used them as learning and teaching tools and brought them into the classroom and
other professional spaces. Often times, video games can be easily dismissed as
purely entertainment. The author argues that it is how tools are used that may have
an impactful, long lasting effect on its users; it is about the quality of the experience

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-7567-2.ch010

Copyright © 2019, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
Beyond Button Smashing

rather than the object itself, whatever the medium it may be. In other words, video
games have the potential to be thought provoking, and it has much more learning and
teaching potential than just keeping children preoccupied while running errands. In
this literature review, the author investigates the use of Minecraft, a sandbox video
game, in science classrooms and offers potential ways the reader may use the game
in their own context.

BACKGROUND

One could argue that America had been prepping for the video game industry since
the 1880s and 1890s. In an examination of public amusements, Nasaw (1993)
documents that the once prominent amusement parlors of the late nineteenth century
were rebranded as penny arcades. The primary audience of these establishments,
once sophisticated adults, were replaced by young men and boys who gathered
around a peephole machine to watch How Girls Undress (Nasaw, 1993, pg. 155).
The early twentieth century entertainment exploded with the emergence of penny
arcades, nickelodeons (movie theaters that cost a nickel), vaudeville (a theatrical
show featuring variety entertainment) and lecture halls, amusement parks, and
summertime fairs; the working class now had ways to relieve stress like never before
(Nasaw, 1993, pg. 155-173).
In 1966, companies Namco and Sega introduced Periscope, a submarine
simulator and shooter game that cost a quarter to play (Kent, 2001). The invention
of Periscope was only the beginning of coin-operated entertainment and made way
for games such as Duck Hunt, Grand Prix, and eventually Space Invader, credited as
the starting point of the golden age of arcade video games (Whittaker, 2004; Kent,
2010). By 1981, the American video game industry boasted whopping net worth
of $5 billion dollars (Whittaker, 2004, p. 122). Popular entertainment is once again
reconfigured in the early twenty-first century, from coin-based arcades to personal
electronic devices, from the occupation of the public sphere to the private sphere.
The video game industry is more popular, volatile, and competitive than ever
before. The rise in demand and seductive market for video game entertainment drew
more than $23 billion dollars in total video game industry revenue, according to
Nasdaq, Inc., generating more than both the movie and music industry (Investing
in Video Games, 2016), presenting educators an opportunity to capitalize on using
video games in their classrooms given the mass appeal of video games and its
cultural relevancy. Unlike predecessors, companies are now able to reach consumers
through multiple means-- PC’s, consoles, and mobile devices-- instead of waiting for
their arrival at a physical location such as an arcade. This fluidity between devices,
which most if not all are connected to the Internet, allows for players to maintain

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one steadfast gamer profile across all platforms, and retain a secure way to pay for
games. It is common to find advertisements within games, often from the same
company, and witnessing prompts or pop-ups for in-game purchases ranging from
a few cents to several dollars.
Research, given its slow brewing nature, is at its beginnings of examining
marketing techniques and effects in video games. For example, it has been shown
that bigger is better when it comes to in-game advertisements, but the order in which
they are viewed, or the level of absorption has no effect (Chaney et al, 2018). The
interactivity with games may influence one’s memory of brand names; when players
are able to actively control in-game brand content, they are more likely to accurately
recall brand names (Siemens et al., 2015). These types of research can only grow in
number as the number of people who play video games rises, and as video games
continue to be cultural consumption (Banks & Potts, 2010).
The demand for more entertainment also lowers the cost of such products,
making video games more affordable for the general populace. For example, it is
now common practice (for better or worse) for parents to occupy young children
with mobile media, and the use of such devices succeeding at being “shut-up toy’s”
(Radesky et al., 2015). These tech-savvy children are extensively referred to as
digital natives (Prensky, 2001), the generation to have grown up with technology
instead of adapting to technology as it played a more integral part of society. In
other words, the latter group refers to those who migrated to the use of technology,
fittingly coined by Prensky (2001) as digital immigrants. The present situation, then,
is rather fascinating: the majority of current teachers are digital immigrants who
are teaching digital natives. Use video games in science classrooms to effectively
promote interest, engagement, and motivation (Li & Tsai, 2013) is one of many
strategies that teachers use in attempt to shorten the gap between generations and
to better engage digital natives in synchronous learning. Research shows that video
games as a tool has potential to blend learning in the game world and real-life and to
foster collaborative problem-solving ability (Li & Tsai, 2013; Adachi & Willoughby,
2013; Hamlen & Blumberg, 2015; Schenk et al., 2017), and to promote creativity
(Jackson & Games, 2015; Moffat et al., 2017). In other words, the operation of
video games as a tool in context of synchronous online instruction may result in
an impactful, long-lasting effect and provide a memorable experience on its users.
Video games such as MC serve as an alternative to traditional synchronous
learning methods. MC is a game entirely sculpted out of blocks that are similar to
iconic Legos. It falls under the sandbox video game genre, which means that there
is no predetermined method to win the game nor are there set objectives. Akin to a
sandbox in real-life, the possibilities to play and experiment are near endless. Each
MC world consists of two hundred sixty-two quadrillion, one hundred and forty-
four trillion randomly generated blocks (Hafer, 2013), and the player can engage the

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world in one of two ways: creative or survival. Creative grants the player unlimited
resources to play with and the ability to fly, largely focusing on the building and
creating aspect of the game. Survival, true to its name, focuses on exploring the
world and the player lasting through the night while monsters appear. Unlike creative
where the player’s life cannot be damaged, the survival system relies on fighting
various creatures to gain experience points and to level up in order to fight even
stronger monsters, if fighting was what the player decided to concentrate their
efforts on. Players are also free to fish, breed animals, ride on the backs of horses
and pigs, farm and harvest plants, or even bake a cake. The process of creating in
MC is oftentimes a collaborative one, and draws strong parallels to makerspaces;
whereas the latter takes place in the physical realm, MC builds upon a digital maker
culture and provides a safe environment to its users (Niemeyer & Gerber, 2015;
Ringland et al., 2017).
MC was created by the company Mojang in 2009 and has since sold more than
122 million copies with 55 million monthly players (Minecraft, 2017) and quickly
caught the attention of Microsoft, who ultimately acquired Mojang (Yes, we’re being
bought by Microsoft, 2018). Microsoft then produced an educational spinoff in 2016
called Minecraft: Education Edition (MCEE), also known as MinecraftEdu. MCEE is
a hub of resources for educators interested in using MC in their curriculum, including
a search function for lesson plans divided by age group and subject matter (e.g.,
business, animals, languages, math, comp sci, government, and more). Activities
span from exploring the literature and literal world of Romeo and Juliet to learning
fractions in real-life settings, and the website also offers a community forum for
educators to support one another and share their experiences (Homepage | Minecraft,
2018). While still relatively new, current MCEE science lessons have already been
created and structured for the following: 1.) comparing the differences between MC
and the real world in relation to chemistry, biology, and physics, 2.) teaching the
scientific method to all ages and letting players conduct their own experiments on
Science Island, and 3.) learning about the water cycle through project-based learning
(Lessons | Minecraft, 2018).
MC has captivated audiences from all over the world, researchers included, and
have started the process of experimenting with MC in science classrooms both
using the curriculum provided by MCEE and original creations. One of the biggest
advantages of using MC is the exchange of practical curriculum materials-- worlds,
creations, lessons, and modifications—between educators all over the globe and the
ability to modify the exchanged materials with ease (Nebel et al., 2016). The author
will discuss specific examples of MC implementations in science classrooms and
illustrate the malleability of the game in curricula.

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Figure 1. A Compound Creator as part of the Chemistry Update from Microsoft,

available for both Windows 10 and Mac OS. Users are able to combine over 30
compounds and build 118 elements based on the number of protons, neutrons, and
electrons (Chemistry | Minecraft: Education Edition, 2018)
Source: https://education.minecraft.net/chemistry/

MINECRAFT AS A SYNCHRONOUS TOOL

IN SCIENCE CLASSROOMS

How Accessible Is Minecraft?

Children as young as nine-years-old may easily learn how to use MC (Shaw et al.,
2014). A great advantage to using MC or MCEE is its digital format, providing
unlimited resources that can be used again and again in classrooms. Teachers may
easily press a button to reset chemistry demonstrations and take students on field
trips across different eras or faraway lands, in turn having the potential to save
schools money that can be allocated elsewhere. The ability to save entire worlds
allow teachers to share them among each other and allow for a bank of diverse
worlds that cover particular lessons (Pusey & Pusey, 2015). However, the lack of
technical support can be greatly stress inducing to teachers (Afshari et al., 2014)
and accessibility to such technologies raises a challenge not only for school funding,
but possibly at home as well1 (Huang et al., 2017).

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Educators who are not familiar with video game technologies are not alone.
There are many user-friendly resources available for educators who are interested
in learning more about MC, including the fan-made Wikipedia (https://minecraft.
gamepedia.com), “Let’s Play” YouTube videos, and live streaming sessions from MC
players on Twitch, which offers the ability to interact with regular video gamers and
fans through text and audio chat. There exist multiple communities revolving around
MC specifically created with educators in mind, such as the forums on MCCE and
EVO Minecraft MOOC (Kuhn & Stevens, 2017) and content specific curriculums
like LearnToMod (https://www.learntomod.com/minecraft-for-educators-teachers/).
The financial burden of MC is one that comes with using most sorts of technology
in a classroom. It is noteworthy to mention that Microsoft offers bulk discounts for
MCCE purchases, or at $5 per student per year (Purchasing Minecraft: Education
Edition, 2018), and that all mods and mod packs associated with MC are free to
download (as multiple interviewees have told me, there are infinite things you can
do since mods exist to vary gameplay). Educators may take greater advantage of
available existing resources such as mods and mod packs from third-party developers
such as Minechem or Feed the Beast, a mod pack for some of MC’s most popular
mods with more than 600,000 downloads since its June 2018 release (FTB, 2018).
Interested educators also need support and training on MCCE beyond Mojang’s
e-mail support, which could resolve problems on-the-spot instead of after the matter.
If a technical issue goes unresolved, it may lower the likelihood the educator would
choose to use that technology in their classroom again, and possibly building an
animosity towards tech-use in classrooms in general. Educators unaware of tools like
MC need exposure to video games as an alternate form of synchronous learning to
even be interested in learning more. The author is hopeful that as time goes on, the
volume in the MCCE database will rise. The promotion of MC as an educational
tool and training sessions on how to use the game for educators would be a practical
and forward step in integrating video game platforms into school curriculums.

Should Educators Use MC or MCEE?

Should educators be looking at games in the educational genre or try tackling

an entertainment industry standard? It would seem easier to use a game created
specifically with an educational intent than try to gamify a title such as Grand
Theft Auto or Call of Duty. However, games often used in classrooms start from
one that had no educational intent. An example of this is SecondLife (SL), a virtual
game with over 9 million “residents,” or registered members, around the world.
SL’s homepage, after their tagline, “Your World. Your Imagination,” tries to attract
the viewer with the temptation of its virtual sphere: “Have an Adventure. Discover
incredible experiences, fascinating people, and vibrant communities in this vast

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virtual world” (Official Site | Second Life, 2018). Players customize their own avatars,
visual representations, that represent themselves and are able to purchase custom
items and land on which to build in exchange for real-life currency. Many players
get attached to their avatars, often creating them as an expression of an “ideal self,”
and may literally become a second identity for the player (Cooke-Plagwitz, 2008).
Upon entering the SL world, players have the ability to fly, walk underwater,
and teleport conveniently from one place to another (Cooke-Plagwitz, 2008). The
game mechanics allow players to socialize and interact through text and/or voice
chat and learning through the integration of synchronous online communication
(Canto & Ondarra, 2017) has led to the rise of its education sector. There are more
than 200 universities or academic institutions that are already involved in SL (Zhu et
al., 2007; Kelton, 2007; see Figure 2). Educators who have used SL for instruction
report that communication among virtual students is more engaged and active than in
their face-to-face counterparts (Foster, 2007). SL, a digital world that was originally
meant to foster communication and creativity of its users, naturally expanded to
include learning as parts of its agenda (Education « Second Life, 2018). It makes
sense from the author’s perspective that SL users would begin to form schools and
other public institutions in a game that is so much a parallel of reality. It also seems,
then, that it is more about the community and needs of a group of players that shape
the nature of the game rather than the other way around.
Another issue that may occupy educators’ minds is the use of video games in
classrooms. How would the parents of their students receive this news? Would it
be more acceptable and justifiable to use an educational game instead of a game
without the “educational” label? Research has shown that implementing MCCE in
classrooms gain high approval from students, but teachers and parents approve at a
significantly lower rate (Sáez-López et al., 2015). Contrary to the findings of Sáez-
López et al. (2015), the parents involved in the study for Pusey & Pusey (2015) at
both schools responded positively to the MCCE intervention. One possibility of this
discrepancy is the parents’ familiarity of technologies themselves and their general
negative conception, or even fear, of video games (Gilbert et al., 2003). Another
factor may be the school’s ability to provide resources for its staff and students or
an uneven distribution of leadership roles among administration and staff (Grubb,
2009). We should also be mindful about the samples collected from each study,
whereas Pusey & Pusey (2015) examined two science classes from an all-girl private
school and one science class from a co-educational public school in Australia, Sáez-
López et al. (2015) studied students from several schools across the USA and Spain.
In addition, classroom teachers from both samples in Pusey & Pusey (2015)
did not encounter technical problems; they could install and run MCCE on each
computer without the students complaining about lag, which speak to the school’s
Internet speed and computer capacities. Both schools involved had a one-to-one

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Figure 2. The Rockcliffe University Consortium is “an online nonprofit organization

dedicated to the advancement of science, education, and research in 3D environments,”
including free workshops, live music, movies, and a full academic research library
(Rockcliffe University Consortium, 2018)
Source: https://secondlife.com/destination/ruc-community-gateway

student laptop program, which speak to the school’s ability to provide resources.
The teachers could remote access to a server computer to control server settings
with ease. A server is a computer program that manages access to a centralized
source in a network. In this case, a school server could hold a MC or MCCE world
that every student could access from their school computer only while connected to
the school network. In other words, students would not be able to log into MCCE
to complete homework at home but are still able to access a single-player version.
The researchers claim the software was easy enough to use but does not mention
the age or background of these teachers.
In Yager & Weeding (2012), a study mentioned earlier, 96% of the sample from
voted to use MC to develop a sustainable city though it is unclear what the other
provided choices were. Nonetheless, this shows an overwhelming willingness to
use or learn MC from their students before it was implemented in the classroom and
suggests the students’ familiarity with the game functions, content, and mechanics.
This may not be the case for every use of technology in the classroom (Kotze, 2016).
The predisposition of students toward MC or MCCE, the school’s Internet speed,
whether or not sufficient computers are available, proper technical support, and

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overall cost are all matters that should be taken into consideration when thinking about
implementing MC or any other video game requiring the Internet in the classroom.
It is of upmost importance that the user experience is smooth; just think of what a
distressing experience it can be when the technology at hand does not perform as
expected. Annetta & Holmes (2006) phrases the parallel between physical and digital
classrooms nicely: “When Internet communication works, the medium becomes a
place, as a physical classroom is a place” (p. 39). In this case, the medium is video
games, and users must be able to communicate with ease before even considering
feelings of belonging, community, and engagement.

SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Expending Video Games in Synchronous Online Learning

Playing video games can be considered largely a social activity. Research shows that
learning in MC lasts longer than a one-time session through learning by playing,
learning through creating, and learning through teaching others (Nebel et al., 2016),
which all fall under interactions with the environment and with peers. The two
factors enrich and deepen the experiences for its users. Yet how do we approach a
social activity when students can’t even see each other face-to-face in video games?
Establishing presence in the digital classroom is a way to transfer some of the
experiences a student would feel in a physical classroom. Presence is traditionally
defined as the perception of “being in” an immersed environment (Witmer & Singer,
1998). The feeling of presence in video games play a role in triggering emotional
responses from its users (Ravaja et al., 2004; Ivory & Kalyanaraman, 2007; Nowak
et al., 2008; Soutter & Hitchens, 2016; Grizzard et al, 2017). A student’s time in
the virtual world can have an affective impact, and the feeling of presence can help
everyone involved to form a sense of community. Additionally, in the virtual world
one can take on the appearance of almost anything imaginable. The experience is
similar to how we contemplate on our attire before going out into the real world;
we consider how we would like to be viewed in public, by strangers, colleagues,
and peers. Users who are enabled to choose their avatar’s appearance, the ones that
most closely resemble their real-life selves, are more likely to feel positively invested
in the experience and increase intentions of using the avatar (Suh & Suh, 2011).
It is then strongly encouraged that educators aim for feelings of presence in their
curriculum design and allow students to choose their avatar’s appearance if possible
in an effort to optimize student experience in a virtual classroom.

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One of the greatest advantages of using video games for online synchronous
sessions is the ability to play with space. Broadly speaking, sandbox games such as
MC and SL are malleable and can be manipulated to fit each science classroom’s
unique needs. For example, De Lucia et al. (2009) used SL for an online synchronous
college course. They developed a virtual campus that was divided into four distinct
types of space: lecture rooms, a common student place, collaborative zones, and
areas for recreation. Much of these spaces were used like their real-life counterparts:
the teacher gave a lecture in a virtual classroom, students were able to collaborate
in small groups of 5 or 6 people, and the recreational area stocked with multi-
player games to promote sense of community and socialization between peers.
Admittedly, the author notes that setting up such virtual space from scratch may be
time consuming depending on the extent the educator wants to customize the space,
but such time invested is worthwhile as the setup can be saved and used repeatedly
in the future. It is also possible to share preexisting files between users across most
sandbox games, meaning one educator can share their custom world with another
(such as MCCE lessons).
Another key component to the study by De Lucia et al. (2009) was the preparation
given to students prior to the start of lecture. Tutors guided students for one hour
around the virtual campus, akin to a real-life campus tour, and offered a brief training
session on modes of communication in-game and on basic avatar movements. The
results of their study showed that the virtual environment supported synchronous
communication and social interaction, and successfully motivated students. The
teacher and tutors reported that those who were not as well-versed in technology
asked them for help or asked those around them on where to go and what to do. It
is then recommended that the educator first surveys the class on their comfort with
using technology before deciding whether or not to implement video games in the
classroom.
Using sandbox games like MC in the classroom is both a technical and creative
challenge. Escape from Diab is a game created by Thompson et al. (2008) that
addresses the issue of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Yager & Weeding (2012) conducted
a program where 13- and 14-year-old boys were tasked to design a low energy,
sustainable virtual city using MC over the course of five school days, spending 20
minutes per day on online challenges. After they assessed the 85 designs created by
the boys and considering their evaluation reports, they found engaged online learning
supported them to collaboratively form original designs. Short (2012) reports the use
of MC for chemistry, highlighting the work of an Australian primary school teacher
who developed a matter and phase changes simulation (liquid, solid, gas) where
students act as particles. The idea mimics walking through a real-life museum; the
player starts at a four-by-four area bounded by wooden blocks, simulating the solid
phase; next, the area is made larger by burning, leading to students experiencing

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more freedom of motion in the liquid phase, but are still limited by the boundaries
set a further distance away; finally, the last boundary is removed to illustrate the
gas phase.
Shaw et al. (2014) investigated on the use of computational tools, such as MC,
to access K-12 student learning in engineering education based on the Science and
Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013)
and found that there was great potential for engineering education. However, they
stated that a larger sample is necessary for more generalizable results. Their findings
leave potential for science education development based on the same methods.
A MCCE program was created for a 5-6 week Earth Science curriculum geared
towards 13-14-year-olds by Pusey & Pusey (2015) in combination with traditional
teaching methods such as worksheets, videos, and teacher presentations. MCEE
was used as an instructional tool about once a week, and one teacher built a world
with stratigraphy layers for students to dig through. In the same study, they found
that science interest greatly increased after the program; 84% of students in their
study enjoyed using MCEE in the classroom and 94% stated they would like to
use MCEE in the classroom again. Interestingly, neither the curriculum created by
Microsoft from MCEE or Minechem were mentioned in the literature found by the
author. Minechem is a game modifier, commonly referred to as a mod, available for
free that explores chemistry and physics in the MC world (Minechem, 2018). The
author has drawn critical decision points for educators from examples discussed and
constructed a loose timeline for implementing video games in synchronous online
classrooms, which educators may use to draw upon in practice:

1. Decide on learning goal(s) for the course.

a. It could be beneficial to work backwards and research if there are any
preexisting educational materials for a particular game, especially if there
is a preexisting map that can be simply downloaded onto one or many
computers and a curriculum that can be changed.
2. Decide on teaching materials for the course.
a. What makes sense for the subject matter being taught? Educators
should be liberal in their use of other materials such as presentations,
worksheets, and so on as they know their classrooms best and additional
activities may offer multiple stimulations from different perspectives
with the same subject matter. For example, if educators are modifying an
existing curriculum, perhaps the time spent with video games can serve
as supplement to worksheets and videos.
3. Train teacher and staff on how to use the video game and any additional
technologies involved.

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a. Specifically test the ease of communication in-game in different settings

(e.g., school, home) to see if it is suitable to use in a classroom setting
where students may be connecting through a variety of Internet speeds.
4. Set up the digital space (divide into multiple sections, specific rooms with
purpose, etc.).
a. Is the set-up for class from scratch? If so, enough time (at least a few
weeks) needs to be devoted to the project prior to the start of class.
b. If the digital space is being preloaded, the educator should imagine how
that space may be utilized in their classes. What might differ from the
preloaded material’s context and the educator’s classroom? Is the age
audience the same? What about the space can be modified or further
enhanced to meet the needs of the educator’s classroom?
5. Provide a live overview of the game mechanics for students prior to the start
of class.
a. The advantage of a live overview instead of sending out an email to the
class is that any technical problems the student may have would surface
immediately, and educators can actively resolve the issue before the
student associates the game experience negatively.

Video games can be used in a variety of disciplines, and scholars are already
making the argument for its integration in historic scholarship (Spring, 2015;
Carvalho, 2017), gender studies (Dunn & Guadagno, 2012), a broadening definition
of literacy (Gee, 2003), and STEM (Mayo, 2009; Jenkins, 2014; Lane et al, 2017).
In addition to combatting obesity (Guy et al., 2011), video games can be capitalized
to engage students in science and across other STEM topics (see Table 1 for ideas).
Educators can pick which game to use in their classroom based on the suitability of
the video game, the instructor’s own familiarity with the game or interest in learning
to master the tool, and most importantly on the classroom topic.

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

Using video games for online synchronous learning offer students a unique experience
paired with modern technology, however there is still a gap in literature on the use
of video games in online synchronous sessions. The author argues that video games
are not meant to replace the entire curriculum but used as a learning supplement.
Video games such as MC stand for real-world learning parallels, and when used
in classrooms, provides an area for synchronous learning and social bonding in
real-time. In addition, MC can act as a safe space where mistakes can be made in a
low- to no-risk environment. In many cases of ostracized populations, what takes

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Table 1. A list of video games that have been used to teach STEM topics

Video Game
Authors Subject or Topic Taught
Used in Study
Adams et al. (2012) Crystal Island Pathogens
Mennecke et al. (2008) SecondLife Ecommerce
Kalelioğlu & Gülbahar
Scratch Programming
(2014)
Herrero et al. (2014) Spore Evolution, natural selection
Lu et al. (2010) Tetris Computing
Buehler et al. (2014);
TinkerCad Introduction to 3D modeling and printing; anatomy
O’Reilly et al. (2016)
Zintgraff (2014); Zintgraff
Whyville Mathematics
& Fuller (2016)

place in the digital world of MC alleviates constraints of everyday reality (Ringland

et al., 2017). It has been argued that MC with its community of YouTube videos,
how-to guides and fan-made Wikipedia’s, is a means of spreading social learning,
or learning how to learn (Banks & Potts, 2010). Future research should continue
to investigate the capabilities of video games into traditional curriculums and to
consider the long-lasting influences and effects on students from playing such games
in a formal school setting.
And as society continues to move forward in a technologically dominant direction
and place more value in ingenuity and creativity as robots and other machinery
take on more mundane tasks, we will need to address the gender divide on online
skills (Zhou & Purushothaman, 2015). It is interesting to the author that not more
science lessons are available on the MCCE website despite some creative ventures
with science curriculums. The discrepancy between research and what is available
on the MCCE website is one that needs further investigation. Future research should
also focus on the instructor’s experience with implementing MC projects and their
experience with maintaining servers, adjust and customizing maps, and why their
thoughts on and usage of MCCE’s website in order to unpack the process of using
video games in classrooms.

CONCLUSION

Video games are dominating the entertainment market in the 21st century. It is
advantageous for educators to capitalize on this cultural consumption by providing
video games as a relevant, innovative, and synchronous way of learning in classrooms,

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as well as recognize video games as a tool to push one’s own instructional ability
and creativity. Suggestions offered in this chapter provide a glimpse to what the
future of education can look like if video games play a role in common educational
practices. The digital space transcends the boundary of time zones and physicality;
for the entirety of one classroom session, everything that is being seen and heard is
the same. Games like SL, MC, or MCCE offer a safe space to explore and experiment
for ostracized populations (Ringland et al., 2017), and can make a lasting impression
on classroom participants. Much of this educational opportunity rests on the attitudes
of parents and educators. Students using sandbox video games in the classroom
provide a chance to use relevant technology as these tech-savvy skills become an
even more integral part of our lives and can even help students develop interest in
science topics (Lane et al., 2017).
Video games can be pivoted as a medium for learning and teaching and have the
potential to challenge and stimulate digital natives, as long as educators remember
that the emphasis is on the quality of the learning experience and not on the actual
technology itself. It is important to keep in mind that technology cannot always
perform the way we want it to, nor can we always access the necessary bandwidth
or Internet connection for smooth operations; the author strongly advises that the
implementation of these technologies should be discussed with one’s IT department
before any planning and/or integration of video games goes into the curriculum.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public,
commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Digital Immigrants: A term coined by Marc Prensky referring to those who

were not born into the world of digital technologies, but rather introduced to them
at some point in their lives and had to change or adapt to them.
Digital Natives: A term coined by Marc Prensky referring to those who have
been born into the world of digital technologies and experience the integration of
such technologies into their lives as something natural.
Game Modifier, or Mod: An add-on to a game that changes gameplay, or how
the game functions. An example of this would be adding solar panels and nuclear
reactors to MC, as those do not exist within the original game.
Minecraft: A sandbox adventure game created by Mojang with more than 122
million copies sold around the world.
Minecraft: Education Edition, or MinecraftEdu: An educational spin-off of
the popular game Minecraft created by Microsoft.
Mod Pack: A collection of game modifiers that players can install on their
computers at once instead of installing each mod separately.
Sandbox Game: A video game genre that places minimal restrictions on the
player and does not have a predetermined way to win or end the game.
Server: A computer program that manages access to a centralized source in a
network.

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ENDNOTE
1
MC is available on Mac & PC for roughly $26; Xbox for $20; PS4 for $18;
Nintendo 2DS/3DS for $30 as of today.

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