Mojang, the makers of Minecraft, have now announced they will formally make inroads into classrooms with the new Minecraft: Education Edition.
The announcement notes the game has creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving at its core, which the company believes will be important to both educators and students. The announcement follows Mojang's acquisition of MinecraftEdu from Finnish company TeacherGaming LLC.
Mojang noted the Education Edition will "be new and expand" the MinecraftEdu version with newer features. The game will be available as a free trial in the summer of 2016.
Moreover, those already using MinecraftEdu will receive this new edition for free. MinecraftEdu has been used in more than 40 countires and can deal with diverse subjects.
"One of the reasons Minecraft fits so well in the classroom is it's a common, creative playground," said Vu Bui, COO of Mojang. "We've seen Minecraft transcends the differences in teaching and learning styles and education systems around the world. It's an open space where people can come together and build a lesson around nearly anything."
Minecraft, according to the report, lets educators teach STEM subjects, art and poetry. Rafranz Davis, Executive Director of Professional Development and Learning, Lufkin ISD, noted Minecraft gives its users the opportunity to learn things outside the box.
