Dundee students redesign the city's waterfront with Minecraft
5 June 2015
Dundee school pupils have submitted their ideas for the future of the city's waterfront through the medium of Minecraft.
Primary students have spent a few months using the popular video game to create plans for the area, which is undergoing a PS1bn renewal.
The project was managed by Dundee City Council and the University of Dundee.
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The appearance of the plans was taken into consideration along with the support for tourism education and job creation.
In addition to the Minecraft Youth Camp involving primary 6 and 7 students from across the city students from nine secondary schools have been taking place in similar Minecraft Youth Camp, funded by the university and TAYplan.
Students worked in groups using Playstation and XBox consoles. They connected to whiteboards in classrooms , and used them to reimagine and create their own visions of the city's waterfront.
'Hugely enthusiastic'
Derek Robertson of Dundee University's school of education said the game was a "huge phenomenon" that enticed children.
He stated that "We must be aware of the digital spaces children use and how they can influence their learning."
"If we are looking to engage children in subjects like design and the environment then games and applications such as this can be a great tool.
"The children who have been working with over the past months have been extremely enthusiastic and have produced an impressive amount of work. Some of it might be an obstacle for city planners but this is the beauty of Minecraft it can create anything."
Mr. Robertson was recently invited along with 49 other teachers from around the world to participate in an Minecraft Educators Summit in Los Angeles, to discuss how Minecraft can be best utilized in both formal and informal learning.
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