In these unprecedented times of pandemic, online gaming has a substantial and unique power to bring gamers together in the most fun and interactive way. It helps people across the globe to share insights, exchange thoughts, and inspire each other to bridge the gap of understanding technology in a collective will.
Minecraft gaming, for instance, is now an essential tool to help learning the basics of coding for kids. Like Roblox, Fortnite, and other age-appropriate gaming applications, Minecraft has allowed kids to experiment and express their creative freedom and orient with coding even without rigorous discussions inside the classroom.
As a popular culture juggernaut, it’s not a surprise that Minecraft does teach kids coding. Hence, this article guides aspiring gamers, Minecraft enthusiasts, teachers, and parents to know how Minecraft teaches coding.
Why Online Gaming?
Increased Spatial Awareness
Healthline suggests that spatial awareness enables your body to be conscious of your position to your environment. This ability guides your spatial context to the location, movement, social functions, reading and writing, and mathematics. In relation to online gaming, a study published by American Psychological Association in 2017 revealed that 10 to 30 hours of gameplay can help students improve their spatial cognition and multitasking. Accordingly, a fast-paced action game could be more beneficial for quick decision-making.
Quicker Problem-Solving Skills
Online games test your kids’ strategy in accomplishing situation tasks, which can positively train for quicker problem-solving skills and improve their school grades – according to an article published by the University of Arizona. Game developers built multifaceted and interactive worlds, where gamers have to analyse ostensibly solvable problems measuring their learning-based decisions either alone or with a team effort. Because gamers spend the entire time of failing, they hone their problem solving skills to a next level of strategy.
Pursuing Perseverance
The rigorous, repetitive trial-and-error processes have helped online games to fortify their strategies and method of attacks. According to the Association for Middle Level Education, delays of gratification have been correlated to better study behaviours and decreased drug usage.
How does Minecraft teach coding?
So, how does Minecraft teach coding? CodaKid provides some Minecraft features that helps teach coding:
Minecraft Mods
Minecraft Mods, or better known as “modifications,” are advanced tools used to add, reduce, or even enhance the present feature of your kid’s Minecraft display. Here, you can include new animals, weapons, game mechanics, blocs, biomes, terrains, and game settings through coding.
Mods are not built-in Minecraft features. It means that you have to download another source to enable your desired modifications like Minecraft Texture Pack.
As a way to teach your kids in coding, Minecraft Mods have three types to play, including the Client-based (Client-side) mods, Server-based mods, and Mod Packs.
First, client-based or client-side mods only affect the external performance of your kid’s screen. It modifies the sounds, graphics, animation, and the environment of the user interface. Hence, it doesn’t affect the entire Minecraft server software.
Second, server-based mods help your kids to host multiplayer games with other players. Unlike the client-side mods, server-based mods allow players to alter their Minecraft server softwares by adding, changing, or altering furnace recipes.
Third, mod packs are a collection of mods, configurations files, and textures. Depending on your mod packs, you can modify your Minecraft server that enhances and encourages RPG-like adventure-inspired armaments, pre-generated structures, equipped highly advanced armours, and complicated circuitries.
Minecraft Commands and Consoles
Does your kid want to cheat his Minecraft game by coding? Cheating your exams in schools doesn’t make any fun. But cheating your way in Minecraft gaming does!
Minecraft console commands are useful layers of shortcuts and critical inputs to make your game more strategic – an important component for Minecraft Potion. It is more than a string of letters and a combination of words with symbols.
To use Minecraft console commands, your kid has to type the forward-slash key (/), which will pull up a small window. Next, you have to input the code you desire to command, and such command activates.
Here are some important commands to code:
- Setting your world’s weather (code: /weather)
- Summoning objects and entities (code: /summon)
- Sending private messages to your co-players (code: /tell)
- Changing the game mode (code: /gamemode)
- Locating to find easy structures (code: /locate)
Minecraft Earth
Minecraft Earth promotes an augmented reality of a Minecraft game. Similar to Pokemon Go, it provides an improved graphical performance that strictly speaks of its transition to a top-notch digitally augmented feature.
As a new digital masterpiece, another level of creative expression, adventure, and freedom is a no-brainer in Minecraft Earth.
Moreover, there are three worlds available in Minecraft Earth:
Map World allows your kids to collect items, blocs, and mobs by walking around your neighbourhood and finding Tappables.
Play Mode provides your kids to build and construct materials through Interactive Mode and punch the things your kids desire through Punch Mode.
Adventure Mode enables your kids to craft items, search resources, and pick up matters whatever they want. However, they can’t fly and explore other areas. Also, your kids can evenly share between their party members. Together with their friends, they can battle enemies that suddenly attack your team.
Key Takeaways
Online gaming is helping kids expand their vision, explore their interests, and excite their future. In three essential ways, online gaming help your kids by:
- Increasing spatial awareness;
- Train to Strategic Problem-Solving Skills; and
- Pursuing Perseverance;
As an essential tool to help learn the basics of coding for kids, Minecraft is a great tool for your kids to learn coding in most fun, exciting ways; No doubt educational institutions, psychologists, and even parents appreciate the positive developments of Minecraft.
To recap, Minecraft teach coding through the following features:
- Minecraft Mods
- Minecraft Commands and Consoles
- Minecraft Earth
