Station rotation models are popular in education. Students visit each station in turns according to their own choice to learn different aspects of the lesson. This gives the students both agency as well as motivation since they can choose the station that interests them the most. Moreover, this model also allows for differentiation of learning, as each student can proceed through the stations at his or her own pace.

What is the station rotation model?

The station rotation model is a model of learning where there is no singular lecture for the entire class but instead, it creates a learning environment with multiple stations spread across the room. Each station is a place for the students to learn a different skill or a different part of the lesson. Each student has to go to each of the stations and finish the activity in each. However, the students often have a choice about which station they want to go to first and so on.

What is Minecraft

Minecraft is an example of what is called a sandbox video game. Each player has a great degree of control over what he or she wants to do in the game. The game itself is merely a world where the player is free to do whatever they want. The game does revolve primarily around digging and mining for minerals. Using these minerals the player can build tools, buildings, and entire industrial systems. Based on the game mode, players can create their own modifications to the game, or battle evil monsters along with others.^[1]

Minecraft for education

The idea of Minecraft can be used as a way to give agency to the students in their own learning process. To begin with, the dynamics of Minecraft ensure that students would learn a lot as they play the game. To build highly complex tools and buildings, they would need to use logical thought processes. Moreover, since the game has no singular and obvious objective, the creativity of the player is the driving force in creating objectives for self. These all are useful tools for the classroom.

However, Minecraft can also be used in a slightly more structured way. Teachers can create stations of learning within a Minecraft world. These structures can then be visited by students. Each station would have information to learn and tasks that the student has to complete. The teacher can further build a number of complex dynamics to ensure a form of ‘jig-saw learning’ where the student can only pass the level if he or she integrates information from all the stations and applies them to solve a problem. Or the student has to create something using all the skills already acquired. The possibilities are endless!

References:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/guide-teaching-writing-minecraft