In partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Microsoft recently launched a pilot of the mobile version of “Minecraft: Education Edition” exclusively in the Philippines, providing 23 million Filipino students early access to an expanded learning experience in school, at home, or in any remote learning environment.
“Minecraft: Education Edition” is a game-based learning platform designed to promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive and secure digital environment. Educators worldwide use the platform to engage students across various levels and curriculums to bring abstract concepts to life, making learning interactive and fun.
Public and private schools across the Philippines have been integrating “Minecraft: Education Edition” as part of teaching instruction to increase academic engagement and stimulate students’ interest in learning, especially during the pandemic as classes have largely been held virtually for nearly two years. With 84 million smartphone users in the Philippines, Microsoft aims to provide access to game-based learning to more students nationwide.
Edukasyon.ph teams up with Microsoft in improving online education platform
Microsoft PH, DepEd, employers group hold skilling program for high school graduates
“With the right tools and program interventions, game-based learning approaches can improve a child’s memory capacity, computer, and simulation fluency, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and build other skills such as map reading or practical thinking,” said Joanna Velez Rodriguez, director for Public Sector at Microsoft Philippines. “Because of the availability of ‘Minecraft: Education Edition,’ more teachers and students can access the application whether using Windows, Mac, iPad, Chromebook, or even your Android mobile devices.”
300 Minecraft Worlds
Designed for students of all learning styles and all grade levels, “Minecraft: Education Edition” provides more than 300 Minecraft worlds to explore and over 600 standards-aligned lessons to engage learners across the curriculum from history, languages, social and emotional learning, equity and inclusion, and STEM-focused areas such as chemistry, coding, and much more. With the tools available on the platform, teachers can easily curate lesson plans for specific learning outcomes. Through these project-based lessons, students develop critical 21st-century skills which they can apply in their future workplaces. Minecraft: Education Edition for mobile devices ensures the platform is more accessible than ever to teachers and students.
“To our 900,000 teachers and 23 million learners, use this opportunity to enhance teaching and learning using technology with ‘Minecraft: Education Edition’,” said Undersecretary Alain Del Pascua of the DepEd. “Let us encourage more teachers and learners to actively use this tool for game-based learning to improve teaching and the learning processes in today’s technologically advanced world. I would like to thank Microsoft Philippines for your continued partnership and shared commitment with the DepEd in providing the technological needs and support and ultimately a better tomorrow for our teachers and learners.”
Training partners
DepEd is working closely with Microsoft and its Global Training Partners for the broader use of “Minecraft: Education Edition” in the country’s education system.
With Felta Multimedia, DepEd has recently implemented a pilot test to enable virtual field trips for students using “Minecraft: Education Edition “to foster learning in Philippine history. DepEd is also providing a series of free online tutorials on “Minecraft: Education Edition,” together with Line Learning and Development Solutions, through its ETulay sessions on social media and continues to capacitate and empower more teachers and learners with the support of DepEd’s “Minecraft Champions” and “Minecraft Certified Educators”.
The pilot release of the application is exclusive in the Philippines and is now available for download through the Google Play Store. Students and teachers can access the platform by signing in using their Microsoft 365 school accounts.