Minecraft has been used by students and educators for several months now with the release of Minecraft: Education Edition. This week Microsoft has announced a new Code Builder feature designed specifically for Minecraft: Education Edition, currently in open beta.
“[Code Builder] allows for the students to still think about algorithms and how to solve problems, and they can demonstrate it with this agent,” said Melissa Wrenchey, Educator at Telsa STEM High School.
Code Builder connects Minecraft to common learn-to-code software such as ScratchX, Tynker, and a new open source program called Microsoft MakeCode. Code.org’s Code Studio will be added to Code Builder later this year to add even more support. Code Builder shows up as a little robot that students can program using coding software. Advanced users can input direct commands with Javascript.
“Minecraft has been used in classrooms for years to help students learn more about math, history, humanities, and physics,” says Michelle Dauphiny Becker, Executive Producer for Minecraft. “When students are using Minecraft, they solve problems together.”
Coming later this spring is a 1.0.1 update for Minecraft: Education Edition. This update will add Command Blocks, additional languages, texture pack support, adventure mode, and more. Classroom Mode features will also be expanded and help teachers and educators manage chat as well as weather and enemies and dangers in the world.
Minecraft: Education Edition is designed especially for students and teachers and only available to schools. With the release of the Code Builder beta, a one-year subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition will be included with qualifying purchases of Windows 10 PCs and tablets.
