Attempting The Impossible- Building An Instructional Unit In Minecraft

It's an often repeated and trite expression among educators (particularly in LTEC) that "it's not so much about the technology as the pedagogy." Our entire LTEC Masters and PhD programs are predicated upon this adage- that you can use any technology you want, so long as it is designed with sound learning theories with clear student outcomes. I have always believed this to my core,  but Minecraft (MC) really challenged me to make this a reality.

During our several weeks sojourn into the world of MC I have, for the most part, enjoyed myself. Previously, I had gone to several Schools of The Future Conferences and talked to students exhibiting their projects in the morning poster session. Several years ago, I was even luck enough to run into Jane Mcgonigal who was the keynote speaker that morning. You can tell the true character of a person by how they behave when they believe that no one is watching. Under these circumstances, people are not "acting" or trying to gain anything. They are being who they truly are. Jane had arrived early for her keynote and was quietly making her way inconspicuously around the poster area making sure to engage students in conversation and praise their efforts extravagantly. My first thoughts were- What an educator! and What a role model to students! I could clearly see students eyes light up as they recognized her and asked to take selfies. This, more than any studies or research, solidified my understanding of just how effective gaming and virtual worlds are to students. The fact that these worlds are virtual is only incidental. The pride, competition, and collaboration that these students experience is every bit as real as the feelings encountered on "real" F2F teams like basketball or volleyball.

All that being said, I still felt stuck when Dr. Peter announced that we would be building an instructional unit in MC. With my limited experience, I was barely confident enough to build a simple tower. How could I construct objects as complex as some of the ones demonstrated in class? But then I remembered what Dr. Peter often says. Think about the affordances of the virtual environment then match those advantages to your instructional objectives. Brilliant! I realized that I was trying to hard to build an instructional unit that looked good rather than one that actually was good (or effective). Once I realized that, I focused on using MC to help students learn the skills of teamwork and collaboration and "pulling their own weight" in a project environment. Not the prettiest design if I am being honest, but certainly "more about the pedagogy than the technology!"