Primary School Students' Experiences using Minecraft Education during a National Project-Based Initiative: An Irish Study.

Abstract

Minecraft Education is a digital game-based learning platform that is thought to support the development of twenty-first century competencies and skills. The purpose of this study is to explore primary students' experiences of using Minecraft Education during an innovative national project-based initiative. The initiative had two phases: 1) educational episodes for teachers and students on how to use the platform and 2) a national competition that required students to re-imagine a sustainable version of their community. We used a mixed-methods design with a sample of classes taking part in the initiative. First, third to sixth class students (N = 173) completed a survey that examined: 1) learning opportunities with Minecraft Education, 2) ease of use, 3) usefulness, and 4) enjoyment. Eight focus group interviews were then conducted with a subsample of sixth class students (n = 30). Students indicated that 1) there were good opportunities for learning with Minecraft Education, particularly for creativity and collaboration, 2) the platform was easy to use and useful and, 3) using Minecraft Education was enjoyable. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data identified five themes: 'collaboration', 'opportunities for creativity', 'immersive learning environment', 'student engagement', and 'technology and digital skills'. This research highlights the value of innovative project-based learning activities with Minecraft Education for supporting student learning.