Minecraft To Launch Education Edition

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Minecraft to launch education edition by Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



19 January 2016



Microsoft will launch an "education edition" Minecraft.



Teachers will discover new ways to utilize this game that builds worlds across a range of subjects.



In 2014, Microsoft paid $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) for Mojang Minecraft, Minecraft's Swedish creator. It also purchased the four-year-old MinecraftEdu game from TeacherGaming, a Finnish independent developer.



It's possible to include features as of now however schools may be faced with additional costs.



It is reported that more than 7,000 classrooms around the globe are already using Minecraft in some form.



"Teachers are using Minecraft to do a lot of things," Anthony Salcito (Microsoft's vice president of education worldwide) told the BBC.



"Once we make the tools more accessible for schools to get access to and utilize I think you'll see that number [of classrooms] increase quite rapidly."



Camera in-game



MinecraftEdu already lets teachers modify the content of the game and access an education-related library that is shared assets.



Microsoft promises to improve user experience:



Allowing characters created by children to maintain their unique characteristics between sessions



Allowing pupils to take "photos" of themselves using an in-game camera, and then saving them in an online book with their notes. These can later serve as instructional materials for other children or be used by teachers to score their progress



permitting children to download programs that allow them to play the educational version of Minecraft outside school without having to purchase their own version of the game.



Teachers and children need to have their own Office 365 ID to access the service. This ID can also be used for access to the cloud-based productivity software by Microsoft.



Microsoft claims that this will allow teachers to reduce the number of online accounts they need to manage.



It may also help the company in promoting its word processing, file-sharing and email apps on other platforms like Google and others.



Microsoft plans to charge an annual fee of $5 (PS3.50) for each teacher and child.



It could cost more than the current setup that requires schools to pay a one-time fee of $14 multiplied by the maximum number of people they want to allow to connect at one time in addition to an additional $41 for server software.



"We believe that we're bringing added value," said Deirdre Quarnstrom director of Minecraft education.



"On the top of having a persistent identity, players will also be able to access the most recent version of the game.



"MinecraftEdu as well as other Minecraft mods was one to two releases behind because of the development process.



"We are also replacing schools' need to maintain separate servers."



Virtual Shakespeare



The new features were welcomed by Leigh Wolmarans, the head teacher at Lings Primary School in Northampton. City2020



The school uses MinecraftEdu to teach pupils about A Midsummer Night's Dream by asking them to create a production of Shakespeare's work within the game.



However, he also said that other teachers should be aware the software had its limitations.



He said that technology can be used to enhance learning, but it must be used in conjunction with other tools.



"If all you are doing is taking them to a table and leaving them to experience Shakespeare through Minecraft you are doing something wrong.



"Dance, art, drama and music are the best ways to teach kids.



"But technology can be a part of it as an additional tool."



Microsoft has announced that it will allow teachers to "beta-test" Minecraft's education edition for free at some point during the summer, prior to the official launch.



Minecraft was used to teach the science of chemistry



5 November 2015



The schools are using Minecraft in the classroom.



20 June 2014



Minecraft



MinecraftEdu



Lings Primary School