Benefits of Game Based Learning
There are many benefits to game based learing, in fact many games that we play today already subconciously teach you certain skills (Spires, 2015). Puzzle games such as Portal can teach players problem solving skills and logical thinking (Burkle & Magee, 2018; Chee, 2016). Most games also help in developing a players memory, think back on how many pokemon can you name, and many pokemon will instantly come into mind.
Players are able to learn key skills depending on what type of game they are playing, while also being extremely engaged with the content (Chee, 2016; Spires, 2015). This can also be applied in an educational context, enhancing students learning environment, and teaching them various subjects using game based learning (Burkle & Magee, 2018).
In fact, game based learning has a lot of benefits when applied in an educational context. Not only does it increase engagement and motivation, but can also promote content learning (Chee, 2016; Spires, 2015). Encouraging students to create, explore and discover within the game (Clements, 2016).
Minecraft in Game Based Learning
Minecraft is a game that provides students with an open world experience, while there are objectives within the game, all of them are optional, providing players with an adventure that they choose (Chee, 2016; Clements, 2016). Now it might be interesting to think about how Minecraft can be applied in education, however there are a surprising amount of possibilites within the game itself.
Minecraft provides an open world experience for the students, and stimulates their creativity, as they can experience the world in their own unique way (Clements, 2016). While this can be hard to properly incorporate into lessons due to the “lack of content” (Kuhn, 2017). However depending on the subject, just the base world is enough, students could be instructed to create their own house and measure the area for subjects such as maths (Clements, 2016). Other additions in the “Minecraft Education Edition” can also allow students to take science lessons with the periodic table blocks that can allow students to learn science (Clements, 2016).
It is important for students to have a clear goal in order to succefully integrate Minecraft into their education, allowing them to have a clear understanding of what they have to achieve (Burkle & Magee, 2018; Clements, 2016). By setting a clear expectation, students will be able to create their own unique method of reaching the goal, and facilitating their learning and their creativity (Chee, 2016; Spires, 2015).
References:
Burkle, M., & Magee, M. (2018). Virtual learning: Videogames and Virtual Reality in education (pp. 1067-1087).
Chee, Y. (2016). Games-to-teach or games-to-learn.
Clements, A. (2016). What we can learn from Minecraft. Schoolnews, (32), 17-18.
Kuhn, J. (2017). Minecraft: Education Edition. CALICO Journal, 35(2), 214-223. doi: 10.1558/cj.34600
Spires, H. (2015). Digital Game‐Based Learning. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(2), 125-130.
EDUC3620 - Digital Creative and Learning 
It is great that you recognised that the majority of games are already teaching us certain skills and your example of aiding in memory makes a lot of sense (I myself probably remember too many Pokemon for my own good). I also really like how you specifically related games-based learning and enhancing creativity through Minecraft and you provided a great understanding of how it is related/important. Perhaps you could have included the negative aspects of games-based learning for example, that it quite often is not applied in a pedagogically sound way in the classroom, resulting in lower learning experiences and motivation occurring. Overall though, I really enjoyed this blog and it had very sound positive attributes of games-based learning.
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