Using Minecraft to Engage and Educate students - Game Based Education

Exploring the difference between Face to face environment to computer mediated environment.

Computer based emergent system

1. more engaging
2. more immersive
3. fosters continuos discoveries
4. helps with problem solving skills

How do young children perceive and interact with each other in this environment differs from from face to face emergent environments. 

Using and comparing Legos to the Computer based game allows researchers to analyze that data and investigate how children's dialogue increases or decreases dependent on the type of game. 

SICC Selectively invisible color coding is used because it both are examples of emergent systems from very basic elements. 

Minecraft, is technology mediated and Legos are face to face

Players create their own personal goals in the mine-craft environment as they collect cattles, critters, monsters and blocks to create structures, landscapes and visual compositions. 

Researcher found that Mine-craft requires more dialogue as a result of children 

1. asking more questions
2. describe creations
3. tutor members 

However, the dialogue for mine-craft differes from the dialogue and discussions for Legos in Semantics and the intensity. Proximity to one another changes as well. 

Things that are achieved as a result of Game Based Education

1. Peer tutoring- more capable member(s) tutor the other group members- 
2. peer collaboration- all equally capable with the field in which they are working work together to figure it out. Collaborate, seek knowledge from each other. 
3. Collaborative learning- learning from one another 

Most effective way to stimulate learning from each other.




http://www.edutopia.org/made-with-play-game-based-learning-minecraft-video


http://playmakers.instituteofplay.org/wp-content/files_mf/fulltext01.pdf