Research About Game-Based Learning

Can a video game really be educational? Do you have any data to prove this is more effective than traditional lesson plans in the classroom?

Video games are a great way to engage students and personalize lessons. They provide “an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at (or getting better at) and enjoy” Nearly three quarters (71%) of digital game-using teachers report that games have been effective in improving their students’ mathematics learning. Additionally, digital and online games as used as social tools for communication in new and ever-changing contexts are integral to new literacies. Lastly, Minecraft allows students to play in onscreen and off-screen contexts and demonstrate high levels of cooperation and collaboration as they fluidly moved between these contexts.

1. McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York: Penguin Press.
2. Takeuchi, L. M., & Vaala, S. (2014). Level up learning: A national survey on teaching with digital games. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
3. Marcon, N. (2013). Minecraft as a Powerful Literacy Prompt in the Secondary English Classroom. Australian Curriculum English Lessons & Resources,49(2), 49th ser., 35-36. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
4. Kervin, L., Verenikina, L. & Rivera, M. C. (2015). Collaborative onscreen and offscreen play: examining meaning-making complexities. Digital Culture & Education, 7(2), 228-239.

For more information about research on game-based learning, check out the Impact page on our website.

Additional Resources

• See lessons developed by the Minecraft team
• Get started with Minecraft Education
• Learn to Play Minecraft Education