Minecraft: The Education Edition may Change the Education System

Even though Microsoft has revealed that they are working on a project called Minecraft Education Edition, a few days ago they have revealed the concept behind this edition. Now that the details are out, the public has found out that this version of one of the most popular games of all times is not like the past versions. This time, Microsoft is making a step forward and tries to implement this game in the education system. They want this game to be played in classrooms in schools.

The first time they have mentioned about their intents was through their official blog. They have reported that the sandbox video game will be now used as a sophisticated educational tool in hundreds of classrooms in countries around the world (more than 40 countries). The Microsoft team has made a video to explain their intentions too.

So, they are currently working on the new Minecraft which is logically named Education Edition. The basic purpose of this game is to improve social, problem solving, logical thinking and overall comprehensive skills.

They have already tested the beta version and according to some reports, some users have managed to recreate famous battlefields from world history, which is definitely a much more interesting way to learn more about our history than reading a book.

Readers of Microsoft’s official blog have also found out that children from a Scottish elementary school are encouraged to use Minecraft by their teachers in order to learn more about city planning, construction and engineering with the help of this application. It is worth mentioning that some people are skeptical about this because Minecraft is not that sophisticated at least not when it comes to engineering and architectural concepts. But, keep in mind that we are talking about learning basics – this game is not supposed to replace books and software used by college students (at least not for now). While we are talking about developing such skills through games, we should mention that there are some games that are more precise in terms of physics. However, playing Minecraft online provides a special experience and that’s why developers are focused on this game. In addition, there is no doubt that kids love it!

It seems that Microsoft has made the right move when they decided to invest more than 2 billion dollars in this game in an attempt to make Minecraft more than a regular game. The guys from Microsoft want this game to reach many schools and educational facilities around the globe. A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft was part of BETT exhibit in the UK (for the first time ever). They were there in order to explain more about the features and options of their Education Edition. They have also pointed out the advantages of using this software. The first reactions of the public were very positive.

It is very early to make predictions whether the new Minecraft edition will have big impact on the educational process or not, but the fact is that what Microsoft is doing here is revolutionary. Many developers have not realized that their creations can provide much more than gaming especially when it comes to building games. The Minecraft: Education Edition will be available this summer and we can’t wait to try it!