Crafting minds and communities with Minecraft

Abstract

Minecraft is a first-person perspective video game in which players roam freely in a large three-dimensional environment. Players mine the landscape for minerals and use these minerals to create structures ( e.g., houses) and mould the landscape. But can Minecraft be used to craft communities and minds? In this opinion piece, we highlight the enormous potential of Minecraft for fostering social connectedness, collaboration, and its potential as an educational tool. We highlight the recent use of Minecraft to aid socialization in individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and promote civic engagement via the United Nations Human Settlement Program. We further provide novel links between Minecraft and recent on work on the role of social cures and community empowerment in enhancing mental health, wellbeing, and resilience.

Caring for screenagers (part 2): a pediatrician's primer on popular games and educational tools

“…Further, Minecraft servers can act as a substitute for social interaction in the real world for those that struggle interpersonally. The server, Autcraft, hosts a community of ASD patients that connect through their playing of the game [12]. Researchers cite that while no experimental research has been done to determine the effect the Autcraft community has had on its members, there is ethnographic research indicating the server has had a positive impact on the lives of those who engage with it [12].…”

Children and the Mediated City. Place Attachment Development Using Augmented Reality in Urban Spaces

“…construction set into the physical world. Minecraft Earth users do not pursue any specific they can merely create, build, and explore in freedom while playing alone or cooperatively in a real territory or in an environment created by the players [37].…”

“…This way, friends nearby that have the game installed can scan the QR code and join the buildplate and interact with others [39]. This AR game forms communities and groups that share creative creations, demonstrating the social aspect of Minecraft Earth [37]. In this digital world, children can bring their imagination into life using digital representations of various materials.…”

Quels apports éducatifs du jeu vidéo Minecraft en éducation ? Résultats d’une recherche exploratoire menée auprès de 118 élèves du primaire

“…Certaines études ont aussi montré que Minecraft avait un fort potentiel en termes de développement de la collaboration, de connectivité sociale, mais aussi et surtout en tant qu' outil éducatif (Riordan et Scarf, 2016) au point de voir un impact positif du jeu vidéo Minecraft chez des personnes atteintes de troubles du spectre autistique (TSA). Ce jeu, qui n'a ni but ni objectif, permettrait en effet aux joueurs de se plonger dans leur propre récit, de créer et d' explorer (Riordan et Scarf, 2016).…”

“…Ce jeu, qui n'a ni but ni objectif, permettrait en effet aux joueurs de se plonger dans leur propre récit, de créer et d' explorer (Riordan et Scarf, 2016). On retrouve même un réseau dédié à la pratique du jeu vidéo Minecraft par des enfants atteints de TSA (http://www.…”