Chapter 9: Exploring 21^St-Century Skill Development Through the Digital Game-Based Learning Platform of Minecraft Education

Digital technology in education has reshaped traditional methods of instruction to meet the needs of modern-day students, often called Digital Natives (Bin-jomman & Al-Khattabi, 2018; Prensky, 2001b). The widespread use of instructional technology led to the evolution of educational games that allow students to interact with the content and other students, set their own learning pace, think critically about real-world problems, and receive instant feedback (Plass et al., 2015). The recent growth of digital technology has generated an emphasis on using digital game-based learning (DGBL) methods to meet the needs of students in K-12 education (Boeker et al., 2013; Ellison et al., 2016; Karsenti & Bugmann, 2017; Sardone & Devlin-Scherer, 2010). Exploring instructional methods incorporating DGBL into the classroom is important for exploring its potential impact on student motivation and engagement in the learning process within a familiar digital environment.

This chapter argues that DGBL, specifically Minecraft Education (ME), provides students with authentic learning experiences that build 21^st-century skills. This chapter unfolds in four steps. First, we survey the scholarship on DGBL to enhance 21^st-century skill development for K–12 students. Second, we argue that integrating ME into curricula provides students with real-world connections by communicating, collaborating, and problem-solving as they engage with the learning objectives. Third, we discuss the potential benefits of DGBL and ME for increasing student motivation in the learning process. Finally, we discuss the implications and recommendations for capitalizing on DGBL to teach current, technically savvy students to prepare them for a technically advanced society.