Development of intellectual and scientific abilities through game-programming in Minecraft

Abstract

In recent years, the technological revolution has changed the way we see reality and interact with it. Inevitably, education and didactic planning have also had to deal with new technologies. Indeed, the presence of digital tools has radically changed people’s lives since childhood. Many educational realities have exploited this digital transformation to speed up and specialize learning, customizing study plans and type of software according to age groups. The activity of the Digital Education Lab is part of this context. It is a digital education school which uses the game software Minecraft Education Edition to teach its students the fundamental principles of computer science, geometry and mathematics. This article discusses learning key science concepts through game learning. The analysis carried out allows to see that students are facilitated in learning complex scientific concepts when these are shown through the game and can therefore be “experienced”. The learning of 186 students aged between 8 and 10, who are generally at the first approaches to the digital world, has been evaluated. To evaluate the acquisition of knowledge through these innovative methods, at the end of the didactic course we have administered anonymous tests through the Google classroom platform. The results show that learning through a game-software facilitates the learning of basic scientific information as well as fostering the capacity for interconnection and transversality.

Usability Evaluation of Imikode Virtual Reality Game to Facilitate Learning of Object-Oriented Programming

“…Furthermore, the students involved in this learning process tend to avoid further exploration of complicated problems involving science-based courses due to their poor foundation (Tekkumru-Kisa et al, 2021;Yager, 2000;Zheng et al, 2015). A study on game based learning by Bile (2022) has shown the effectiveness of using technology in enhancing the teaching and learning of science based concepts. Specifically, Bile (2022) used the Minecraft game application to teach the basic principles of some science based courses such as geometry, mathematics and computer science to 186 students.…”

“…According to Jens et al (2008), students' programming abilities are essentially a function of their mathematical prowess; hence, teachers leverage this method to develop a curriculum that will benefit students undertaking mathematical studies, while other areas such as problem solving skills are ignored in contrast to extant literature on the enormous benefits of programming in developing problem solving skills (Bile, 2022;Brown et al, 2009;De Freitas, 2018;Erhel & Jamet, 2019;Papastergiou, 2008;Peters et al, 2021;Pierre et al, 2020). A study by Divna et al (2015) conducted a correlation analysis to unravel the relationship between mathematical abilities and students' programming prowess.…”

“…The use of games in education is not new. Many empirical studies have shown that educational games impact education and increase learning effectiveness, students' motivation and engagement (Bile, 2022;Brown et al, 2009;Erhel & Jamet, 2019;Oyelere et al, 2019;Peters et al, 2021). The evolution of new technologies has not only paved the way for novel ways to design and develop digital games but also for how users experience the games.…”

Assessment of academic achievements in m-learning

“…Inevitably, education and didactic planning also had to deal with new technologies-special mobile apps (Socrative and Plickers), online learning programs (Moodle, ATutor, Eliademy, etc. ), cloud services, and creation of shared documents (Bile, 2022). Indeed, digital tools have radically changed people's lives since childhood, especially when it comes to Generation Z, born since the early 2000s.…”

“…At the moment, many educational technologies that have been tried for years have lost their relevance due to the significant gap between educational technologies and the students' lifestyles (Bile, 2022). The point is that traditional educational technologies (general questioning, question-answer interactions, etc.)…”