Teaching Spatial Geometry in a Virtual World: Using Minecraft in Mathematics in Grade 5/6

Teaching Spatial Geometry in a Virtual World: Using Minecraft in Mathematics in Grade 5/6

Abstract

Spatial geometry is one of the fundamental mathematical building blocks of any engineering education. However, it is overshadowed by planar geometry in the curriculum between playful early primary education and later analytical geometry, leaving a multi-year gap where spatial geometry is absent at large. Hence, we investigate the usage of Minecraft as tool to help bridge said gap, as the virtual worlds of Minecraft allow children to create three-dimensional objects in a constructive and algorithmic way. We study two learning scenarios in grade 5/6 with 103 students, reporting on our & the childrens' experiences. Based on our findings, we believe Minecraft to be a valuable mathematical tool that can be easily used to augment the current curriculum.

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Authors
  • Foerster, Klaus-Tycho
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Supplemental Material
Shortfacts
Category
Paper in Conference Proceedings or in Workshop Proceedings (Paper)
Event Title
8th IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON 2017)
Divisions
Communication Technologies
Subjects
Informatik in Beziehung zu Mensch und Gesellschaft
Event Location
Athens, Greece
Event Type
Conference
Event Dates
25-28 Apr 2017
Date
April 2017
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