Running head: VIDEOGAMES IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 1

Videogames in the Learning Environment

Cameron Robicheaux

Prof. Dogan

CUIN3313-08804

University of Houston
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Mankind has been playing variations of different games that can date back to some of the

earliest civilizations (Kumar, Herger, & Dam, 2018). Games most likely started out to pass the

time or get their dose of social contact. Individuals inadvertently developed skills that would

improve their performance in their games. For example, mathematical skills from calculating

how fast a runner needs to be in order to win in a 100m dash, or social skills that develop

whenever individuals interact with others. Games continued to redefine themselves as time went

on, but there is one variation of games that is of interest because of its potential application in the

learning environment. The first video games were released in the early 1970’s but they have

advanced drastically since then (Tyson, 2000). Up until recently, videogames had been frowned

upon for educational uses. However, teachers and instructors have began to integrate videogames

into their lessons to improve student engagement, which is one of the toughest challenges for

educators. Videogames are still new to the learning environment but are showing incredible

potential for what they can be applied to.

It is difficult to generalize the applications or benefits of videogames as a group because

they vary greatly in design, gameplay, mechanics, etc. By analyzing specific videogames in

specific circumstances, determining the applications, benefits, and drawbacks becomes easier to

evaluate. A particular subject that has a bit of a reputation for being boring or uninteresting is

History. The exact reasons vary from student to student, but it seems understandable that they

struggle engaging because the material is not directly relevant to their day-to-day lives, so they

wonder why they should spend the time, energy, and brainpower learning about the events that

have already happened. This is where videogames can provide an effective alternative learning
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activity that helps students engage in the course material. In this specific circumstance one

videogame has been applied and experienced much success by a 7th grade world history teacher

in King City, California. John Miller struggled in the past to get his students engaged in the

distant course material like the Roman Empire or Feudal Japan. To reach his students and enable

them to fully appreciate the importance of these topics Miller decided to try something new by

using Minecraft. Minecraft is a sandbox structured videogame, which provides unique

advantages for application into the learning environment. Sandbox videogames are typically

categorized by the lack of preexisting structure and the user’s ability to manipulate their virtual

world in almost any way they can imagine (Techopedia, 2019). By taking advantage of these two

aspects Miller created a world in Minecraft that students were able to experience a historical

scenario that featured, “a medieval Viking invasion of an English seaside town, complete with an

attack on a monastery, a missing monk, a kidnapped girl, a hunt for an ancient relic and Norse

mythology” (Jones, 2018). Miller found that students were more easily engaged in this activity

compared to his previous methods. Miller found that the same students that had struggled

grasping material or writing anything about the course material were now twenty-page papers

detailing their experiences in their Minecraft world (Jones, 2018). The scenario that Miller

created was so effective because it enabled students to connect with the course material, it

allowed them to personally experience what it was like to have Viking warriors raid their town,

attack their monastery, and spirit away their towns monk and local girl. The way that Minecraft

was used in this situation improved student engagement and grasp of material, and through

asking students to do their own research, keep a journal on their experiences, and other activities

Miller was able to provide opportunity for students to develop their skills and comprehend
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course material through immersing themselves in the videogame. In 2016, Minecraft: Education

Edition was released because Microsoft, the parent company of the Minecraft developer studio

Mojang, has seen the potential that Minecraft has for educational purposes. This edition of

Minecraft has experienced great success and boasts thousands of educators in over 100 countries

using the Minecraft: Education Edition (Minecraft: Education Edition Home page, 2019). By

designing a version of the game dedicated to assisting instructors in creating a virtual world that

fits their needs, Minecraft: Education Edition opened itself up to potential applications for nearly

all subjects covered in kindergarten through high school by releasing templates for lessons in

subjects like elementary math, chemistry, basic coding, art, poetry, and many more (Minecraft:

Education Edition Search Lessons page, 2019).

The incredible potential for videogames as tools in the learning environment is

exemplified by Minecraft: Education Edition. It shows that given the right platform, course

design, and instruction, that videogames can engage students better than traditional alternatives,

develop a wide variety of skills, and be versatile enough to be effectively applied in many

subjects.
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Works Cited

Homepage | Minecraft: Education Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2019, from

https://education.minecraft.net/

Jones, C. (2018, May 3). A new venue for video games: K-12 classrooms. Retrieved April 20,

2019, from https://edsource.org/2018/a-new-venue-for-video-games-k-12-

classrooms/597100

Kumar, J., Herger, M., & Dam, R. (n.d.). A Brief History of Games. Retrieved April 20, 2019,

from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/a-brief-history-of-games

Search Lessons | Minecraft: Education Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2019, from

https://education.minecraft.net/class-resources/search-lessons

Tyson, J. (2000, October 16). How Video Game Systems Work. Retrieved April 20, 2019, from

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-game2.htm

What is a Sandbox (in Gaming)? - Definition from Techopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2019,

from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/3952/sandbox-gaming