Minecraft Your Classroom: Transforming Teaching and Learning through Gaming
Primary Presenter: Grant Matheny
Co-Presenters: Nisha Azimova and Ryan Carney-Mogan
Organization: University of Colorado Boulder
Role: Technical Director
Track: Discussion
Topic: Gaming in Education
Level: For Mere Mortals
Abstract: The 2012 edition of the Horizon Report showed that Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games like Minecraft and World of Warcraft are increasingly being integrated into course curricula. In this session we’ll first show some examples of successfully integrating MMOs into the classroom. We'll then open a discussion with the participants about their expectations and experiences with this phenomenon. What works? What doesn't? Where will this trend take us?
Bio: Grant is the Technical Director for ASSETT, which provides pedagogy-focused technology support for teaching and learning. He's a certified teacher, a technologist, and a gamer, and these three interests come together in a love for investigating the educational value of video games. In his ideal world, people would learn accidentally through play and interaction with other learners, rather than having to sit in stuffy classrooms and listen to lectures.
Description: Last year, we went heavy on showing off various games and how they could be used for education. This year, we hope to continue the short but spirited discussion that kicked off during the ten minute Q&A time we left ourselves last year, and give it a bit more breathing room after a brief foundation to update participants on what's being done in this space.
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