Minecraft: When your three-year-old nephew is capable of playing a game on his father's tablet with a relatively good performance, it is an indication that digital games are becoming more and more involved in children's creative time as a job.
The question at this point is whether the long-standing, almost obsessive-dealing with digital game can have an educational role. The combination of learning and entertainment is driven by the Greek community of Minecraft, incorporating into the game, with 30 million enthusiastic supporters worldwide, the History of Ancient Greece.
Το Minecraft είναι ένα απλό παιχνίδι που θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί ψηφιακή εκδοχή του γνωστού Lego. Στόχος του, η construction κόσμων και η εξερεύνηση. Conceived in 2009 by Swedish developer Markus Persson, it has sold over 2013 million copies on PC and 15 million across all platforms as of 54.
Last Monday the popular game was bought by US software company Microsoft for 2,5 billions of dollars.
In March of 2011, creators of the Greek community Minecraft, Constantine and Ioanna, known as Padakoys and Rozoyli, opened Rainbow Minecraft Server, which was recognized as "one of the best servers in the world". The Greek Rainbow Family Servers (RFS) is preparing the first Minecraft based on historical events with reference to Ancient Greece, aiming to make the game educational material. The player will have the opportunity to tour Greek cities (Sparta, Athens, Pella, Olympia), to get to know digital sites of great archaeological significance, perhaps adding a "stumbling block" to the Acropolis.
The creators note that there will be references to mythology, such as secret passages in the world of Hades or the Procurus in Eleusis, while their priority is to represent historical battles (300 - Thermopylae / Salamina naval battle) in which the player will actively participate by adding elements . The Greek project is not yet open to the public. The team, speaking in the "K", said it would soon be featured in 3D version at the Ministry of Culture.
In schools
The Minecraft and education dichotomy is not only a Greek inspiration, since in 2011 an international group of educators and developers, TeacherGaming, created the MinecraftEDU project with the aim of discovering how digital games work educationally in a classroom. Educator Joel Mills from Ireland spoke to "K" about the project to introduce Minecraft to education, representing the University of Hull in England with a short curriculum to be hosted in 2015 by the network's educational digital platform for academic courses Canvas (https://www.canvas.net/).
Mr. Mills has been deeply concerned with the way the History lesson can be integrated into Minecraft and become, with the "thousands of versions and modifications of the game", an open training tool. Teach instructors how they will teach the themes they want from prefabricated worlds. For example, the Humanities Humanities version is a role-playing game where "you can see the ancient ruins of Rome, the Eiffel Tower, exploring the pyramids." According to Miles, this is a special way to introduce students to different cultures.
Η συνεισφορά του Minecraft στην εκπαίδευση δεν περιορίζεται στις ανθρωπιστικές σπουδές. Το παιχνίδι παροτρύνει τους μαθητές να ασχοληθούν με διαφορετικές επιστήμες, όπως η physics, ο προγραμματισμός και η αρχιτεκτονική. Εντυπωσιακή είναι η δυνατότητα που παρέχεται στους μαθητές να κατασκευά σουν κτίρια προσχεδιασμένα από αρχιτέκτονες και να δώσουν μια απτή μορφή, με τη χρήση εκτυπωτών 3D, σε ό,τι οικοδόμησαν μέσα στον εικονικό κόσμο του Minecraft.
It develops strategic thinking, creativity
The game is an important tool in the hands of teachers, as it can inspire pupils or students to engage with objects they were not interested in without realizing it, "since they are too busy playing," Mills notes.
According to research by SRI International, a team of Silicon Valley technology experts, games can enhance cognitive learning by 12%, enhancing problem-solving ability and memory functions.
Eric Klopfer, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says Minecraft specifically enhances students' construction skills and perception of space. strategic thinking, creativity and the ability to work together ". As Ms. Cheney points out, cultivating these skills is why "in the United States, toys are fully integrated into the curriculum." According to research by Panteion, although teachers in Greece are hesitant about the meaning of the game, it is slowly "beginning to be part of the educational process, bringing very good results", as Ms. Chene says.
Strengthening skills
Creativity, collaboration, decision-making, cultivation of leadership skills are just a few of the elements cultivated through the game. "The development of the trust mechanism comes to complete the circle of skills that seem to be strengthened by playing." A "magic circle" of trust relationships seems to be shaped by the creation of global communities by gamers.
"I'm not afraid at all about children playing computer games," Mr. Mill said. "I see it as a way to develop their skills, you just have to make sure, as parents, that children are protected in this environment," he concludes.
Source: kathimerini.gr
