What you need to know
- Many colleges and universities have closed their campuses because of the coronavirus.
- In response, a lot of homebound college students are rebuilding their respective campuses in Minecraft.
- This includes faithful re-creations of interiors and surrounding parts of the city.
- Hundreds of students are even planning a virtual graduation inside of Minecraft.
According to a report by Boston Globe, it seems that a few college students are spending their increased time at home inside of Minecraft, and they're definitely missing being in school. Several campuses, including Berklee, Boston University, and Emerson are being faithfully rebuilt inside of Minecraft servers by loyal students, as well as two worlds prepared for graduation ceremonies to be held completely virtually.
The maps are being constructed by numerous students, using satellite imagery and Street View from Google Maps, as well as from memory and personal photos. In the case of Boston University, at least, the server also includes the surrounding area, and is still expanding right now. One group of BU students is preparing a virtual graduation for their fellow peers, while another group is working on a larger, national graduation ceremony that has caught the attention of over 500 students from over 200 schools,
The project is helping the students cope with the concept of "social distancing," which encourages people to avoid interaction with other people as much as possible, in order to reduce the ongoing spread of coronavirus (COVID-19.) It allows them to socialize with their friends, even in the same locations they'd normally hang at on campus, all from the comfort of their home. And while the graduation ceremonies are purely symbollic, it is bringing hundreds of students together at one time.
It seems that Minecraft has a lot of different uses for education, from reconnecting estranged college students stuck at home, to helping parents teach their children. All over the world, people are finding creative ways to use Minecraft constructively, and it's very wholesome to see.
Available everywhere you play.
Minecraft is a veritable, inarguable and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a huge following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It's also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
