Title: Minecraft Microbiology
Author Name: Leah Pital
1. Introduction
Game-based learning has tremendous potential in creating engaging instruction. In fact, a recent meta-analysis study found, “a .33 standard deviation improvement in learning when compared to non-game-based instruction in general and, more importantly, that theoretically augmented (well-designed) games accounted for a .37 standard deviation in increased learning.” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018, p. 277) The potential of new forms of instructional media and delivery methods is enticing to instructional designers. There is always a sort of hope that a new form of media will serve as a magic bullet to address a gap in instruction or increase learner engagement. Since the early 1900s, there have been demonstrated incidences of new media not living up to the hype – moving pictures, projectors, educational television, and the internet. Game-based learning is media rich by nature and can be engaging on that premise alone. However, as alluded to earlier, well-designed instruction, based on established models and instructional strategies, is key to creating effective instruction.
Minecraft is a 3D sandbox video game, meaning it affords users a large amount of creativity to explore without there necessarily being a true objective. Users can choose to play in survival mode, where there are limited resources and danger, or in creative mode, with limitless supplies. With regards to the implementation of Minecraft into STEM, one researcher noted, “It replicates a range of ecological and physical settings and processes analogous to those in the real world, providing a virtual platform in which concepts such as formation of volcanic rocks, which cannot be directly investigated in reality due to constraints of time, resources, ethics, location and safety, can be safely explored.” (Short, 2012, p. 3) In 2019, a group of researchers designed a Minecraft world to help high school-aged students understand the complex topic of microbiology. Their findings were published in an article titled The Human Microbiome World: Using Minecraft to Enhance Microbiology Learning in the International Journal of Designs of Learning.
2. Overview of the Case
According to the researchers, “science topics like microbiology can be complex (e.g., hands-on experiments, terminology, etc.) and students unfamiliar with the content area may feel overwhelmed in a single class session.” (Vicari et al., 2019, p. 120) The researchers posit that game-based learning, which they achieved using the game Minecraft, can provide a situational context that reduces learners’ cognitive load and leads to higher-order thinking.
The context of this case takes place in the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. Participants are aged 14-17 years old that have been enrolled in the museum’s extracurricular Lang Science educational program since the 5th grade. These learners are taking part in a course as part of the Lang Science program titled The Minecraft & The Human Microbiome, inspired by a special exhibit in the museum, “The Secret World Inside You.”
Over a two-week period in the summer, fourteen students (aged 14-17) participated in this course. Students attended both morning and afternoon sessions, each one lasting two hours. Students already had some prior microbiology knowledge (e.g. the role of microbes, microbial relationships, etc.) as well as knowledge of how to apply microbiology techniques (e.g. streaking plates, microorganism cultures, and cell staining). The course was led by two individuals, a teacher and a program consultant. The teacher has a background in the sciences and the program consultant served to provide assistance in regards to the physical technology and facilitating the incorporation of Minecraft.
3. Solutions Implemented
In order to achieve the objectives of teaching students microbiology concepts in a game-based setting, each day of the course consisted of learning goals and activities that introduced a particular aspect of microbiology, provided learners creative, hand-on opportunities to explore the concept, and a Minecraft activity where students could apply their new knowledge in a creative, situated context in-game. For example, the learning objective one day focused on the environmental impact on microorganism survival. Students were introduced to the topic through direct instruction, participated in a hands-on lab activity, and then played a Minecraft farming activity to reinforce the concepts.
Researchers initially intended to create the course entirely based on Minecraft, but later revised their instructional strategy because, “the lack of clear objectives inherent in open-ended gameplay could not guarantee student learning, or that they would remain on target when completing tasks.” (Vicari et al., 2019, p. 119) Additionally, the researchers designed the course to include collaborative activities rather than self-directed so that learners could theoretically build a more thorough understanding through discussion with their peers.
4. Outcomes
The researchers did encounter constraints in the development of this course. Most of the constraints are tied to the logistics of incorporating games into instruction – on both the development side of instructional design, as well as the implementation. The first constraint the researchers identified was the technical knowledge needed to troubleshoot problems as they arose. They posit that this mode of instruction might not be suited for the typical classroom with one teacher, as the teacher would need to be able to troubleshoot Minecraft (e.g. glitches, computer problems, compatibility, etc.) at the same time they are facilitating student learning.
Minecraft as a program has enough flexibility that nearly any activity can be designed for any content area. However, the time and knowledge needed to know how to create activities based on learning objectives requires a significant time investment. For example, in the Farming Diversity activity, students needed to access tools and items in-game. Initially, the researchers designed the activity so that students could retrieve what they needed from chests. However, logistically this was a problem as the game designs these chests to hold only a certain number of items. The teacher had to manually restock the chests for each individual group as needed. The solution was to edit the coding in Minecraft so that items dispensed indefinitely.
Another technological constraint centers around the ability to push out updates and modifications. Any edits to the game or its files, done on the host computer, had to be manually updated on each student’s laptop. Similarly, some students requested the ability to add modifications to their game to improve some function or feature. Unfortunately, if one student added these modifications, all students had to add them as well, or students would not be able to access the map files in-game. A less obvious addition to these technological constraints was the inability for students to work on their Minecraft activity at home. Aside from needing a reliable internet connection, any updates students made to their activity could not be saved, as they were not connected to the server. This meant that the majority of in-class time in the second week was dedicated to allow students time to work on their Minecraft activities.
Lastly, researchers identified difficulty in matching the gameplay of Minecraft to instructional activities. They mention, “students had difficulty seeing in-game items, blocks, and creatures as representations of microbiology content from class.” (Vicari et al., 2019, p. 127) In evaluating students’ reflections on their learning, students would often use terminology related to the game, rather than concepts and terms related to microbiology. There was some concern over the ability of students to make connections between in-game activities and learning objectives. Researchers also mentioned they underestimated the amount of time students would need. In the second week of the course, students were given relative freedom to create their projects. The vast amount of creative in-game options left students struggling to complete their project.
5. Implications
A non-technical approach to improving this course should include students’ written reflections. The researchers note that they did not collect these reflections at the end of the course. It may have served to help inform researchers what aspects of the instruction could have been clarified or modified to improve student understanding. Additionally, researchers could have mined these reflections to analyze which objectives were more successful than others and use it to inform revisions or new approaches to this type of instruction.
The researchers also note the amount of preparatory time needed to implement the technology. The program consultant and teaching assistants had to prepare the student laptops before each Minecraft session. Additionally, more time needs to be devoted to “walking through” the activities to spot any minor errors that would prevent smooth gameplay. It may be helpful, when implementing a course like this, to pilot it using expert and/or small group evaluations.
There were also time constraints on students being able to finish their Minecraft projects because of the open-ended nature of the tasks. Researchers investigating the use of Minecraft in the classroom found that, “activities that required students to use higher-order thinking skills, such as building models within the game, were the most successful and engaging lessons. The open-ended aspect of these activities allowed students to demonstrate their depth of understanding of the topic. Activities that required the students to apply their knowledge with clear objectives in a creative environment resulted in the highest level of application.” (Pusey & Pusey, 2015, p. 31) So, the open-ended nature of the tasks is not a problem in and of itself, but the researchers of this case might get better results if the Minecraft activity had in-game components that helped students make direction connections to the content. This would serve two purposes – narrow the focus of students’ projects and increase their ability to make connections to the content.
Although the students demonstrated creativity and higher-order thinking during Minecraft sessions, there was still a discrepancy between student understanding of how the activities related to microbiology concepts. For example, in the Body Defense activity, students who selected the role of an antibiotic were given weapons (with the name “beta-lactam), while students who took on the role of red and white blood cells were given different weapons (clotting blocks and macrophage torches, respectively). However, it was clear that students were not making the connection between the weapon type and type of cell. In turn, students had some difficulty understanding the learning objectives – to understand microbial relationships and body responses to infection.
These aforementioned constraints are one of the criticisms of game-based learning. If the instruction is focused driven by the technology and not sound instructional design principles, the instruction cannot be as effective. Researchers investigating the individual traits that influence enjoyment of mobile learning found that “enjoyment results from the satisfaction of
autonomy, competence, and relatedness.” (Baek & Touati, 2017, p. 21) So, creating game-based learning that is enjoyable must also give learners the ability to feel competent and able to relate the game to a broader topic or level of understanding.
Subsequent implications not mentioned in the research article relate to technological equity. In this particular situation, students were given access to individual laptops. This would be an obvious constraint if not all students had equal access to the physical technology or consistently reliable internet access. Furthermore, there may be an inherent bias towards boys as girls might not see Minecraft as a game that is “for them” and/or they may not have as much experience with the game controls as their male counterparts. This brings up the issue of equity or a “digital divide”. On the one hand, game-based learning can generate an interest in STEM, not just teach about it. Researchers interested in this topic hypothesize that, “video game play not only reflects interest in STEM, but influences it as well.” (Hyashi, et al., 2017, p. 396) So there is great potential in generating STEM interest through game-play, but researchers define a digital divide as a “phenomenon of variance in technology integration based on gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).” (Worley, 2015, p. 2)
References:
Baek, Youngkyun and Touati, Achraf. (2017). “Exploring How Individual Traits Influence Enjoyment in a Mobile Learning Game”. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 347-357. Link
Hayashi, Y., et al. (Eds.) (2017). Workshop Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Computers in Education. New Zealand: Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. Minecraft as a Sandbox for STEM Interest. Link
Pusey, M. & Pusey, G. (2015). “Using Minecraft in the Science Classroom”. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 23(3), 22-34. file:///C:/Users/e201501823/Downloads/10331-26808-2-PB.pdf Link
Reiser, R., & Dempsey, J. (2018). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (4th ed.) [E-book]. Pearson Education.
Short, Dan. (2012). Teaching Scientific Concepts using a Virtual World – Minecraft. Teaching Science. 58. 55-58. Link
Vicari, C., Joseph, B., Klimowicz, B., Jaris, H., Asselstine, S., & Levin, J. (2019). The Human Microbiome World: Using Minecraft to Enhance Microbiology Learning. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 10(1), 116–130. Link
Worley, Johnny Howard, “Across the Great Divide: The Effects of Technology in Secondary Biology Classrooms” (2015). Education Dissertations and Projects. 143. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/education_etd/143 Link