Using Digital Games to Engage Science Students: The Case of Minecraft
Presentation by: Davor Egersdorfer
Session E | 11:25 – 11:45 | Room 203
Abstract:
Many science teachers have faced demotivated students unwilling (or unable) to learn. Student engagement has been shown to be one of the essential requirements for learning and is highly correlated with achievement in school. By engaging students it is possible to promote their educational performance and their overall academic success. Instructional approaches that are designed to encourage student participation should take into account that modern-day students have been raised in a digital, media-saturated world and require similar learning environments to hold their attention. The use of digital games in education has increased significantly over the past few decades and shows promise of engaging digital native learners.
I will discuss how digital games have the potential to not only motivate and engage students in learning science, but can also help promote problem-solving, collaboration and the learning of specific science concepts such as physics and chemistry. I will examine the specific characteristics of digital games which embody positive learning principles that can be used for educational purposes. Specifically, I will discuss the benefits of one such digital game, Minecraft (https://minecraft.net/), and argue for its implementation in school learning. This has practical implications for any science teachers looking for new ways to engage their students in learning.
