By Peter Tromba
Build Engagement and Knowledge
One Block at a Time with Minecraft
How do you get through to those students who would rather be playing video games?
Bring immersive worlds into the classroom and watch their creativity and learning take off.
How can educators use computer games effectively to increase student learning? The core of instruc- tion is the interaction between the student, the
content, and the teacher. Good instructional design accounts for the students’ needs and interests by personalizing the core to each student. Video games and simulations are one way to meet student needs and leverage their
interests for increased student learning.
In the 2011–12 school year, eighth grade students at
Monroe Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, USA, participated in a pilot class that featured the popular online game
Minecraft ( minecraft.net). The project clarified for me the
question of how video games can be a tool for learning. It
also brought into stark relief the misconceptions many career educators have regarding gaming in education.
As principal, I sat on many student- and data-centered
planning teams that met frequently to discuss referrals regarding academic and behavioral issues at middle and high
schools. Over a period of years, I began to notice common
needs among certain groups of students. I discovered that
a particular group of students who generally saw schooling as irrelevant, poorly paced, and out of touch cleaved to
the world of video games. Often these students were talented and gifted but not necessarily identified as such. Our
school counselor, Shirley Madathil, clued me in to the fact
that these students at Monroe were also Minecraft players.
Meeting Students Where They Are
I am an avid video game player, as is my son, Sequoya.
Years ago, when Minecraft emerged, he asked me to buy
