Mining Educational Implications of Minecraft

This study explored the educational potential of Minecraft, which has been widely used since its first release in 2009. Articles about Minecraft were searched for in ProQuest. Data were gathered from 28 articles that were indicative of three categories: integration into curriculum; student engagement, interest, and enthusiasm; and knowledge and skills acquisition. By using Minecraft, students acquire knowledge and skills and are also engaged, interested, and enthusiastic when Minecraft is employed in science, math, social sciences, and language arts and composition classes. Challenges with using Minecraft in the classroom include the lack of focused learning objectives, inflexible curriculum, and no previous gaming skills. Nevertheless, Minecraft holds potential for game-based teaching and learning. Successful integration of Minecraft into the teaching and learning environments requires teacher-centeredness versus learner-centeredness.