Microsoft Releases Minecraft: Education Edition’s Hero’s Journey to Support Hour of Code

Microsoft announces a new Minecraft Hour of Code Tutorial called Hero’s Journey has been released in line with Hour of Code.

This new Minecraft tie-up will be the third tie up between the two and will be held between 4 to 10 December, to help students learn the basics of coding.

The new Minecraft tutorial introduces coding concepts utilizing the popular video game that millions of players around the world are already exploring, teaching, and learning with every day. To date, nearly 70 million people around the world are using Minecraft tutorials to learn about the basics of coding.

Hero’s Journey will feature a new character called Minecraft Agent as well as 10 new challenges that will help teach “core coding concepts like loop debugging, and functions.” When they finish the tutorial, students can then import code into Minecraft: Education Edition or even share their work via email and social media.

Don Carlson, Director, Education, Microsoft Asia Pacific says:

Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world as it provides endless possibilities for players to create their own realms without barriers. By bringing Minecraft to classrooms, educators can leverage on serious play to teach new concepts in a fun and engaging manner.

Minecraft: Education Edition’s Hero’s Journey will be available for free on the iOS, Android and Windows platform.

Microsoft also announced that the Minecraft: Education Edition has crossed over 2 million licensed users in 115 countries within a year of its launch, and more than 250 educator-created lesson plans have been developed in the community. The new Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial will assist educators to bring the concept of coding to life as students help Minecraft Agent overcome the various challenges, and is easy to execute in classrooms.

The World Economic Forum has highlighted the importance of complex problem solving, critical thinking and creativity as skills required for individuals to thrive in the 4th industrial revolution. As such, developing computational thinking is a key priority for education institutions today. One way to develop students’ computational thinking capabilities is through the introduction of computer sciences education, including coding classes.

“Coding empowers young people, giving them the tools they need to not only express themselves, but also transform the way they think critically and solve complex problems. When students use technology to create something of their own design by coding, it builds both technical skill and confidence – both of which are critical for success in the future,” added Carlson.

At Bett Asia, held in Kuala Lumpur between 15-16 November, Microsoft conducted a series of training sessions through its Teacher Academy sessions for attendees to better understand the usage of Minecraft: Education Edition across curriculums, including applications within humanities, math, science and the arts. Educators and public-sector leaders also experienced an hour of code with Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial, where they explored loops, if statements, conditionals and other coding functions.

To learn more about Minecraft: Education Edition, visit https://education.minecraft.net/blog/