Is 'Minecraft' a Better Way to Teach Programming in the Age of AI? (edsurge.com)
(Sunday June 22, 2025 @03:34AM (EditorDavid)
from the be-there-and-be-square dept.)
- Reference: 0178135937
- News link: https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/06/22/0535221/is-minecraft-a-better-way-to-teach-programming-in-the-age-of-ai
- Source link: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-06-11-coding-creativity-and-the-new-digital-fluency
The education-news site EdSurge [1]published "sponsored content" from Minecraft Education this month. "Students light up when they create something meaningful," the article begins. "Self-expression fuels learning, and creativity lies at the heart of the human experience."
But they also argue that "As AI rapidly reshapes software development, computer science education must move beyond syntax drills and algorithmic repetition." Students "must also learn to think systemically..."
> As AI automates many of the mechanical aspects of programming, the value of CS education is shifting, from writing perfect code to shaping systems, telling stories through logic and designing ethical, human-centered solutions... [I]t's critical to offer computer science experiences that foster invention, expression and design. This isn't just an education issue — it's a workforce one. [2]Creativity now ranks among the top skills employers seek, alongside analytical thinking and AI literacy. As automation reshapes the job market, McKinsey estimates [3]up to 375 million workers may need to change occupations by 2030. The takeaway? We need more adaptable, creative thinkers.
>
> Creative coding, where programming becomes a medium for self-expression and innovation, offers a promising solution to this disconnect. By positioning code as a creative tool, educators can tap into students' intrinsic motivation while simultaneously building computational thinking skills. This approach helps students see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of technology. It aligns with [4]digital literacy frameworks that emphasize critical evaluation , meaningful contribution and not just technical skills.
>
> One example of creative coding comes from a curriculum that introduces computer science through game design and storytelling in Minecraft... Developed by [5]Urban Arts in collaboration with [6]Minecraft Education , the program offers middle school teachers professional development, ongoing coaching and a 72-session curriculum built around game-based instruction. Designed for grades 6-8, the project-based program is beginner-friendly; no prior programming experience is required for teachers or students. It blends storytelling, collaborative design and foundational programming skills with a focus on creativity and equity.... Students use Minecraft to build interactive narratives and simulations, developing computational thinking and creative design... Early results are promising: 93 percent of surveyed teachers found the Creative Coders program engaging and effective, noting gains in problem-solving, storytelling and coding, as well as growth in critical thinking, creativity and resilience.
>
> As AI tools like GitHub Copilot become standard in development workflows, the definition of programming proficiency is evolving. Skills like prompt engineering, systems thinking and ethical oversight are rising in importance, precisely what creative coding develops... As AI continues to automate routine tasks, students must be able to guide systems, understand logic and collaborate with intelligent tools. Creative coding introduces these capabilities in ways that are accessible, culturally relevant and engaging for today's learners.
Some background from long-time Slashdot reader [7]theodp :
> The Urban Arts and Microsoft [8]
>> Creative Coders
> program touted by
>> EdSurge
> in its advertorial was funded by a $4 million Education Innovation and Research grant that was awarded to Urban Arts in 2023 by the U.S. Education Department "to create an engaging, game-based, middle school CS course using Minecraft tools" for 3,450 middle schoolers (6th-8th grades)" in New York and California (Urban Arts [9]credited Minecraft for helping craft the winning proposal )... New York City is a Minecraft Education believer — the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment recently kicked off summer with the [10]inaugural NYC Video Game Festival , which included the annual citywide [11]Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition in partnership with NYC Public Schools.
[1] https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-06-11-coding-creativity-and-the-new-digital-fluency
[2] https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/jobs-lost-jobs-gained-what-the-future-of-work-will-mean-for-jobs-skills-and-wages
[4] https://iste.org/standards/computational-thinking-competencies
[5] https://urbanarts.org/
[6] https://education.minecraft.net/en-us
[7] https://www.slashdot.org/~theodp
[8] https://urbanarts.org/creative-coders/
[9] https://medium.com/@urbanarts/expanding-with-a-pickaxe-74237b4c1e2f
[10] https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/news/05282025-nyc-video-game-festival.page
[11] https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/stem/minecraft-education-challenge
But they also argue that "As AI rapidly reshapes software development, computer science education must move beyond syntax drills and algorithmic repetition." Students "must also learn to think systemically..."
> As AI automates many of the mechanical aspects of programming, the value of CS education is shifting, from writing perfect code to shaping systems, telling stories through logic and designing ethical, human-centered solutions... [I]t's critical to offer computer science experiences that foster invention, expression and design. This isn't just an education issue — it's a workforce one. [2]Creativity now ranks among the top skills employers seek, alongside analytical thinking and AI literacy. As automation reshapes the job market, McKinsey estimates [3]up to 375 million workers may need to change occupations by 2030. The takeaway? We need more adaptable, creative thinkers.
>
> Creative coding, where programming becomes a medium for self-expression and innovation, offers a promising solution to this disconnect. By positioning code as a creative tool, educators can tap into students' intrinsic motivation while simultaneously building computational thinking skills. This approach helps students see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of technology. It aligns with [4]digital literacy frameworks that emphasize critical evaluation , meaningful contribution and not just technical skills.
>
> One example of creative coding comes from a curriculum that introduces computer science through game design and storytelling in Minecraft... Developed by [5]Urban Arts in collaboration with [6]Minecraft Education , the program offers middle school teachers professional development, ongoing coaching and a 72-session curriculum built around game-based instruction. Designed for grades 6-8, the project-based program is beginner-friendly; no prior programming experience is required for teachers or students. It blends storytelling, collaborative design and foundational programming skills with a focus on creativity and equity.... Students use Minecraft to build interactive narratives and simulations, developing computational thinking and creative design... Early results are promising: 93 percent of surveyed teachers found the Creative Coders program engaging and effective, noting gains in problem-solving, storytelling and coding, as well as growth in critical thinking, creativity and resilience.
>
> As AI tools like GitHub Copilot become standard in development workflows, the definition of programming proficiency is evolving. Skills like prompt engineering, systems thinking and ethical oversight are rising in importance, precisely what creative coding develops... As AI continues to automate routine tasks, students must be able to guide systems, understand logic and collaborate with intelligent tools. Creative coding introduces these capabilities in ways that are accessible, culturally relevant and engaging for today's learners.
Some background from long-time Slashdot reader [7]theodp :
> The Urban Arts and Microsoft [8]
>> Creative Coders
> program touted by
>> EdSurge
> in its advertorial was funded by a $4 million Education Innovation and Research grant that was awarded to Urban Arts in 2023 by the U.S. Education Department "to create an engaging, game-based, middle school CS course using Minecraft tools" for 3,450 middle schoolers (6th-8th grades)" in New York and California (Urban Arts [9]credited Minecraft for helping craft the winning proposal )... New York City is a Minecraft Education believer — the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment recently kicked off summer with the [10]inaugural NYC Video Game Festival , which included the annual citywide [11]Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition in partnership with NYC Public Schools.
[1] https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-06-11-coding-creativity-and-the-new-digital-fluency
[2] https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/jobs-lost-jobs-gained-what-the-future-of-work-will-mean-for-jobs-skills-and-wages
[4] https://iste.org/standards/computational-thinking-competencies
[5] https://urbanarts.org/
[6] https://education.minecraft.net/en-us
[7] https://www.slashdot.org/~theodp
[8] https://urbanarts.org/creative-coders/
[9] https://medium.com/@urbanarts/expanding-with-a-pickaxe-74237b4c1e2f
[10] https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/news/05282025-nyc-video-game-festival.page
[11] https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/stem/minecraft-education-challenge
CS Education (Score:2)
by phantomfive ( 622387 )
> the value of CS education is shifting, from writing perfect code to shaping systems, telling stories through logic
CS education has never been about writing perfect code, and it is not going to be about telling stories, although I can see why a journalist or writer might like to think so.
"All you have to do is tell a story to the computer, and it will do what you want." It's the author's version of wanting to program embedded systems in Javascript, because Javascript is what you know.
Betteridges Law... No. (Score:4, Insightful)
Like a lot of academic subjects, programming can be gamified up to a point, but eventually you have to just sit down and learn stuff properly, practice writing real code, experiment and learn for yourself what certain data and code structures can and can't do, the gotchas, the edge cases etc etc. eg You're not going to learn the use cases and difference of an array, a list and a hash playing with blocks on screen. Ditto the pros and cons of various sorting algorithms. When it comes down to it , real coding is hard despite what various shills promoting their courses would have kids believe.
Re: (Score:2)
I recently started teaching python to high school students. I have some job related programming experience, but no educational experience in that field. The courses I give are pretty ... sober and more mathematical oriented. Calculate the sum of a series, find the zero of a function with Newton Rhapson, ... . I noticed a strong polarisation effect. You have the "natural" coders. My classes are too slow for them. They eagerly read through the course on their own and start doing a little project under some mi
Re: (Score:2)
My kid learned Python in 5th grade at an after-school program that used Minecraft.
The kids wrote plug-ins to automate and animate stuff.
The students seemed very enthusiastic, but that might be selection bias since less interested kids didn't sign up for the program.