Minecraft Comes to Math Class

Autor/in	Moore, Kimberly
Titel	Minecraft Comes to Math Class
Quelle	In: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 23 (2018) 6, S.334-341 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1072-0839
Schlagwörter	Middle School Students; Grade 8; Secondary School Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Teaching Methods; Computer Games; Geometric Concepts; Mathematics Activities + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; School year 08; 8. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 08; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Computer game; Computerspiel; Computerspiele; Elementare Geometrie
Abstract	Minecraft is an open world survival computer game that was originally created in Sweden in 2011 and later purchased by Microsoft® in 2014. It is among the most popular computer games with students of all ages because it gives players a sense of ownership and opportunities for creative exploration. The game has three unique features: (1) no clear goals, (2) simple graphics, and (3) endless opportunities for construction. Microsoft has capitalized on its potential as an educational tool by developing an Education Edition, released in September 2016. Because all the buildings and characters in Minecraft are built from cubes and the cubes are joined together to create prisms, this game offers an excellent avenue for students to explore several difficult topics within the middle-grades curriculum, including surface area, volume, and the effect of dimensional change. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), eighth-grade students in the United States scored below the scaled average in the areas of geometry and measurement (Provasnik et al. 2012). One area of concern is that "students get confused between formulas for measurement since they never had a conceptual understanding of these measurements" (Steele 2013, p. 247). The activities presented in this article can help students build their knowledge of volume and surface area through concrete experiences. (A bibliography is included.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-9840; Fax: 703-476-2570; e-mail: NCTM@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/mathematics-teaching-in-the-middle-school/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01