Microsoft-owned Mojang has finally released its Minecraft: Education Edition learning tool for Chromebooks. That’s based on a recent announcement from the team behind the mobile app.
Now, before any fans of the series get too excited, Minecraft: Education Edition is exactly what its name implies. So it won’t readily be accessible just anybody in quite the same way as previous releases. It’s Minecraft but geared toward providing a wide assortment of learning opportunities for students. As it states on its Google Play Store listing, the app is “FOR SCHOOL USE.”
What is Minecraft: Education Edition?
The question that remains is how Minecraft: Education Edition actually helps children learn. And that’s fairly straightforward. It’s effectively gamified education promoting creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. But the educational aspects of the game stretch across more than some vague concepts of education. They cover “hundreds of standards-aligned lessons and STEM curricula.”
Loaded with features that enable both remote and on-site learning, the title can help students learn to code with Code Builder. And that tool connects to MakeCode and Tynker. Conversely, it can assist with chemistry-related learning via the Chemistry Resource Pack. That helps students build an in-game periodic table and interact with that.
There’s also more than a 100 Minecraft worlds centered on a wealth of topics from space and ancient history through marine biology. And multiplayer is possible for group learning sessions.
Topping all of that off, the game provides 3D export tools for printing and mixed-reality applications. And that’s on top of the camera, book, quill, and chalkboard tools that are aimed at helping students and teachers alike keep tabs on work as it’s completed.
And that’s all geared toward both K-12 and higher education.
What do you need to get started?
Now, Minecraft: Education Edition isn’t going to work for just anybody on Chromebooks or anywhere else. The newly-announced availability does, of course, come with some caveats. Like earlier releases on mobile platforms and elsewhere, a Microsoft 365 account is required for log-in.
There is also a free trial period but a license to use the app is ultimately required for both students and instructors.
Moreover, specifically for Chromebook users, the latest release does not support add-ons. So users won’t be able to install Code Connection or Classroom Mode companion apps just yet. There’s also no timeline given for when that feature will arrive. Given the number of classrooms that rely on Chromebooks, that shouldn’t be too long in theory.
Otherwise, this app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store just like any other app.