USING BLOCKS TO TEACH ROCKS: DEVELOPING MINECRAFT GEOLOGY LABS

Video games offer potentially powerful learning environments, and an increasing number of faculty are using games as enhancements to the traditional learning environment with encouraging results. Minecraft is a multiplayer sandbox video game based in a virtual world modeled on the real world. Minecraft is based in geology - players collect or mine resources, including rocks and minerals, to build with and survive. Minecraft is currently being used globally to increase interest in the geosciences.

Despite its utilization globally, Minecraft is not regularly incorporated in college level geology courses in the United States; only 1 activity using Minecraft is published on the Science Education Resource Center website. An informal survey of students in an introductory geology course at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that 70% of students have played Minecraft. By designing labs using a video game that students are interested in, we hope to increase student’s engagement in, and understanding of, geologic concepts. In one, students traveled to a volcanic environment and observed a volcanic eruption and resultant rock formations. In another, a geologic map was downloaded into the game and students interpret the geologic history based on different rocks, mimicking a field geology experience in an accessible manner.

Assessment of video game labs was both quantitative and qualitative. Of 12 labs, 2 traditional labs were replaced with Minecraft labs. A control lab section did a traditional lab while other lab sections did the Minecraft lab. After each lab (gaming or traditional), students took a quiz to assess their understanding of concepts. Average quiz scores were compared between traditional and Minecraft labs to assess the effectiveness of Minecraft to teach geologic concepts. Students took an anonymous questionnaire after each lab to assess their attitudes towards Minecraft vs. traditional labs. While research suggests utilizing Minecraft increases student’s interest and enthusiasm towards subject content, there is not yet evidence to suggest Minecraft in the classroom increases academic achievement. We will present preliminary results from this study, which will provide more quantitative data to add to the body of knowledge on video game use in the classroom.