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Minecraft To Launch Education Edition

Minecraft to launch education edition By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



19 January 2016



An "education version" of Minecraft will be launched by Microsoft.



The product will give teachers new ways to utilize the world-building game video game across many different subjects.



In 2014, Microsoft paid $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) for Mojang, Minecraft’s Swedish creator. And late last year it purchased the four-year-old MinecraftEdu version of the game from Finnish independent developer TeacherGaming.



It's promising to add features, but schools may face additional costs.



It is believed that Minecraft is used in more than 7,000 classrooms across the globe.



"Teachers are using Minecraft to do a lot of things," Anthony Salcito (Microsoft's vice president of education worldwide), told the BBC.



"Once we make it easier for schools to have access to and use of the tools, I believe you'll see the number of classrooms increases quite quickly."



In-game camera



MinecraftEdu already allows teachers to modify the content available in the game and use a shared library of education-themed assets.



Microsoft is promising to improve user experience:



The characters created by children to retain their characteristics between sessions



Students can allow students to "photos" of themselves using an in-game camera, and then placing them in an online journal with their notes. They can be used to teach other students or by teachers to track their progress.



Allowing children to download software that will allow them to continue playing the educational version of Minecraft outside of school, without having to purchase their own copy of the game.



Teachers and children should have their own Office 365 ID to access the service. This ID can also be used for access to the cloud-based productivity software by Microsoft.



Microsoft claims that this will allow teachers to manage fewer online accounts they need to manage.



It could also help the company promote its email, word processing and file-sharing applications over competing services from Google and others.



Microsoft will charge a $5 annual fee (PS3.50) per teacher and child.



It could cost more than the current basic set-up which requires schools to pay a one-time fee of $14 multiplied by the number of people they want to allow to connect at one time, plus an additional $41 for server software.
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Deirdre Qarnstrom, director for Minecraft education, said that "we believe we are providing value".



"On on top of having a persistent identity, they will also have access to the most up-to-date version of the game.



"MinecraftEdu, along with other Minecraft mods was one to two releases behind by nature of the development process.



"We are also replacing the need for schools to purchase and maintain separate server hardware."



Virtual Shakespeare



The new features were greeted by Leigh Wolmarans, the head teacher at Lings Primary School in Northampton.



The school already uses MinecraftEdu to teach pupils about A Midsummer Night's Dream by asking them to create a performance of Shakespeare's play in the game.



However, he said other teachers should be aware that the software had its limitations.



He also said that technology can be utilized to enhance learning, but it should be used in conjunction to other tools.



"If all you do is sit them down and leave them to play Shakespeare through Minecraft, then you are doing something wrong."



"Dance, art and drama are the best ways to teach children.



"But technology can be added to it as an additional tool."



Microsoft stated that it would allow teachers to "beta-test" Minecraft's education edition without cost at some point during the summer, prior to the official launch.



Minecraft was used to teach Chemistry



5 November 2015



The schools use Minecraft in the classroom.



20 June 2014



Minecraft



MinecraftEdu



Lings Primary School


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