Longstanding Minecrafters would know what MinecraftEdu is, for the rest, it is a game based on the infamous sandbox title focused on classroom learning. Just as Microsoft bought the original game itself, they have also acquired MinecraftEdu now and announced Minecraft Education Edition!
The official website of Mojang made the announcement a couple of hours ago saying that they want the fans to learn more than just “tree-punching and good Creeper-defence” because “Minecraft can help people around the world to learn lots more” if it is used the right way.
MinecraftEdu has been out there for about five years now and has been used in approximately 430 countries. That level of popularity and practical usability of the version has urged Microsoft to make things even better.
So when it releases, the Minecraft Education Edition is going to be released in summers this year and the launch will bring a free trial for everyone as well. Also, those among you who have been using MinecraftEdu will get to play the Education Edition for free for a whole year.
As far as the development of the Education Edition is concerned, Mojang says that it will be collaboration between educators and the developers – forums will be used extensively for that purpose.
It’s going to be a collaborative thing. Development of Minecraft: Education Edition will be shaped by a community of educators thanks to education.minecraft.net. The site will host lesson plans and give Minecraft: Education Edition users somewhere to discuss ideas and provide feedback. We know teachers can be a rowdy bunch, so we’re looking into the best ways to moderate the forums as I type. Wish us luck.
You can read up more about it on the official website of the Minecraft Education Edition.
