Minecraft Education Edition: a new version planned for this summer

After acquiring Minecraft in 2014, Microsoft is also getting its hands on MinecraftEdu, the educational edition of the famous game. The computer giant also confirms that it will continue to develop the educational side of the game by improving this edition.

Minecraft is a simulation game in which players are called upon to build a virtual world (landscape, building, infrastructure, etc.) using different cube-shaped blocks.

Created in 2011 by Teacher Gaming LLC, a group of teachers and programmers, MinecraftEdu is an adaptation of the game that allows teachers to use different features of Minecraft from an educational perspective. The objective of the instigators was to improve the educational potential of the software. Additional scenarios, tools and activities were therefore designed and added to the traditional version. These additions and modifications allow, in the eyes of many, to teach different concepts, in many disciplines.

Currently, teachers use Minecraft as an educational scenario to illustrate concepts related to mathematics, architecture or physics. Others use it to introduce students to computer language and coding, while some use it to make representations of different historical periods.

By acquiring MinecraftEdu, Microsoft plans to continue to capitalize on the educational potential of the software by developing new features. The company also plans to change the name to Minecraft: Education Edition. The launch should take place next summer.

In one communicated, Microsoft claims that MinecraftEdu is currently used in 7,000 classes in 40 countries. The new version is expected to increase these numbers. According to New York Times, the new educational version will be more accessible, as it will no longer need to be installed on a separate server to use the multiplayer function. This will facilitate collaboration between users and allow students to work on common projects more easily.

Those interested in the educational edition of Minecraft are invited to consult the new site. Educational scenarios and resources are available there.