Education Edition is nearly identical to standard Minecraft, but it includes a handful of features designed for the classroom. Right off the bat, up to 30 students can learn and collaborate in the same world, negating the need to set up a private server through a service like Minecraft Realms.
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Camera features that allow students to photograph and document their gameplay and projects.
The new beta incorporates feedback from more than 2,000 students and educators representing more than 100 schools in 26 countries around the world when the tested the beta in May.
Newsbrief: Earlier this year, Microsoft purchased MinecraftEdu and revealed it would be repurposing the sandbox builder as an educational tool in the form of Minecraft: Education Edition.
Chalkboards – Similar to an NPC, educators can use chalkboards to communicate learning goals, provide information, give explicit instructions, or challenge students with problems to solve within the game. These chalkboards can be mounted on any vertical surface or simply placed on the ground, and come in three sizes: slate, poster, and board. In a future release, Microsoft will launch a “Classroom Mode” interface for teachers that offers a map and list view of all their students, teleport capabilities, and a chat window for communication.
Following up on its announcement in January, Minecraft: Education Edition is rolling out to teachers in an open beta today.
Microsoft has designed the lessons to work across subjects and age groups. Lessons include “City Planning for Population Growth”, “Exploring factors and multiples”, and “Effects of deforestation”. The final version of Education Edition will be released in September, and will cost between $1 and $5 per user, depending on the size of the school and eligibility for special volume licensing.
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As you may recall, Microsoft announced the schedule for Minecraft: Education Edition back in April.
