Running head: Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 1

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu

Derrall Garrison
California State University Monterey

IST522 Instructional Design

Professor Farrington
December 15, 2015

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 4
..
Brief

Background
4
Purpose........
Ethical

Considerations.
4
Constraints...
Timeline for

Development..
ANALYSIS

.
Needs Assessment/Performance Gap

Analysis...
Learner

Analysis.
Workplace/Environment/Setting

0
11

Analysis..
Content

Analysis.
DESIGN

2
1

4
1

Literature Review/Environmental
Scan..
Learning

4
1

Objectives

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Test

Instruments..
Delivery System and Media

7
1

Decisions.......
Instructional Strategies and

8
1

Activities.
DEVELOPMENT &

9
2

IMPLEMENTATION..............
List of Major

3
2

Deliverables..
Development

3
2

Plan...
Implementation

4
2

Plan.......
EVALUATION.....

5
2

..

6
2

Formative
Evaluation..
Summative

6
2

Evaluation
6
REFERENCES. 2
..
APPENDICES

7
2

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Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu
Brief Background
The fifth grade CLIP (Cupertino Language Immersion Program) students at Meyerholz
Elementary school are very high functioning and high achieving students who are learning both
English and Chinese. Over 90% of the students were proficient or above in their scores for the
fourth grade CAASP (California assessment of student performance and progress) test last year.
Their experience of figurative language has involved simple recall of terms, and the creation of
simple examples with the expectation that students would periodically apply the concepts to their
own writing.
Purpose
The intent of the training is to teach the fifth grade students how to understand and apply
figurative language as represented in the Common Core Standards for reading and literacy at the
fifth grade level. The goal is to move students quickly through the previous lower depth of
knowledge levels or DOK 1 and DOK 2 on the topic of figurative language using traditional
learning as a review, and to then focus on a collaborative and virtual experience in Minecraft Edu
to move the students learning to DOK 3 and DOK 4.
Ethical Considerations
There are no ethical considerations beyond ensuring that all students have equal access
and experiences to the training materials and equal experiences during the training. The
expectation is that the training will take place in a classroom, and that student use of technology
or access at home will not need to be considered.

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Constraints
As usual in an elementary school environment, consideration will need to be given to
procedures and processes such as recess, art, music, and P.E. which disrupt the typical daily
schedule and may require alteration of plans. The best approach will be to make sure extra time
is given in case of these activities as well as unanticipated activities such as assemblies. Also,
since the program the students participate in requires a separate teacher for their Mandarin and
their English instruction, the schedule may need to be further adjusted if needed by one or the
other teachers.
Timeline for Development
The expectation is that two weeks will be need to be allocated for content creation and
organization. The first part of the training will utilize a word processor, reference books, and
websites to create the needed documents. The second part will include setting up the appropriate
software for both the server and the client machines. Some content in Minecraft Edu will be off
the shelf and will require no modifications to use. The actual training should take place over a
two-week period with students being given extended time to work more freely and creatively in
Minecraft.

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Analysis
The analysis found that there was a gap in understanding of figurative language. The
learner analysis showed, that because of the high performance of students, that the activity
should quickly move from the lower cognitive domains to the higher ones. The workplace and
environmental setting give ample opportunities to incorporate technology for presentations and
for use of Minecraft Edu as a learning tool. As such, the content will need to build and challenge
students on their prior knowledge and move to the higher cognitive domains. This will ensure
students apply their understanding regularly in their own writing.
Needs Assessment/Performance Gap Analysis
There were several pieces of data which indicated that there was an important
performance gap that could be resolved through training. The first piece of data was from the
CAAASP test, which showed the majority of students were performing in the proficient and
advanced proficient area. The test mostly covered DOK levels one and two. The students
appeared to be able to recall basic information in regards to the language arts and reading
standards, but it was not clear if the students had a complete enough understanding of the
figurative language standards to apply the concepts to their own writing. Also, a writing on
demand assignment was given to begin a writers workshop program, and the expectation is that
by fifth grade that the students begin applying concepts such as simile and metaphor in their own
writing. After grading the results of the writing, it was discovered that few of the students had
given examples of figurative language. And so while they may or may not completely understand
the concepts, their understanding seems to indicate that the ability to synthesize the information
into their own writing was lacking. Since the students understanding in applying the concepts
was what was needed, the use of a learning tool to promote a deeper application of the ideas

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should help resolve the gap in the students understanding. Since Minecraft is a tool which excels
at helping students work in the higher levels of thinking, it was the appropriate tool.
When looking at the student writing samples, it was noticeable that the descriptions were
very matter of fact and lacked the interesting character or qualities that the use of figurative
language would lend. The desire is that, by having the students work collaboratively on a
problem involving the application and synthesis of ideas in regards to the figurative language
concepts, that they would have a deeper understanding of concepts such as simile, metaphor, etc.
The students in the past have been taught the concepts of figurative language through
worksheets, direct instruction, and then were asked to mostly identify what examples were. They
were not expected to necessarily always apply the concepts to their own writing.
With these two starting points for data, the on-demand writing and the CAASP scores, a
needs assessment was formulated. By looking at these two types of data, it was decided to focus
on the lower levels of thinking and capture data that would relate to the first part of the training
involving knowledge, comprehension, and some application. For the needs assessment, I focused
on the Common Core standards involving figurative language. The standards for figurative
language are under reading as well as literacy, so in two places. Both standards involve the use
of, and understanding of, words and phrases in texts and in different contexts. I created a Google
form (see appendix B for the Google form) that had example sentences which also asked for
multiple choice answers. I hoped that this showed if the students could demonstrate lower levels
of understanding by recalling and applying what theyve learned in previous grades, and selfgenerated long answers.
Looking at the data after completion of the assessment, there were several clear trends
that can be seen. The students were asked 21 multiple choice questions, as well as six short

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answer questions, which asked the students to create their own example sentences. The
figurative language questions covered onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, personification, and
hyperbole. For the multiple choice sections, the students answered one question about
onomatopoeia with the highest score overall with 66% correct. Although another question only
registered 52% correct, there were only two questions on the topic. For similes, the students
answered six questions, and one had a high of 56% correct for one question all the way down to
33% correct for another. For metaphors, the students answered five questions, and there was less
of a gap between five questions with a high of 58% to a low of 46% correct. Answers for
hyperbole ranged for five questions between a high of 60% correct to a low of 27%. So for
multiple choice questions less than half the class could consistently identify what type of
sentence they were reading.
With the short answer section of the test, the students showed a lack of understanding for
some of the key concepts for each type of word or were missing parts such as writing a simile
using like or as. The answers ranged from students copying earlier example sentences and using
them with minor variation as their own, to students not being able to think of any example, and
finally to students trying to create their own example but making connections that werent totally
clear. For the higher level thinking questions, a short answer section was used to see to what
degree students could synthesize their own examples or apply what they knew correctly to the
concepts.
Overall the data clearly shows that a training or instruction is needed. Within Common
Core, the figurative language concepts that students were assessed on are introduced in third
grade, with heavy reinforcement of similes and metaphors as well as the other concepts re-taught
in fourth grade. The level of retention of the incoming 5th graders indicates that instruction is in

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order. By already having had two years of instruction on the concepts, the 5th grade level
students should also be able to illustrate a higher depth of knowledge. This further supported a
two-part instruction that asks students to show knowledge or application of the concepts along
with an activity which pushes students to show higher levels of Blooms or depths of knowledge.
For DOK four a tool such as Minecraft is justified. This means the students will need to be
taught the concepts, as well as being helped to develop a higher level of understanding so that
they can use strategies to create their own examples independently.
It is hoped, that by focusing on multiple levels of both lower and higher order thinking,
that the students will retain more of the concepts and be able to more comprehensively apply
them to their own writing in the future.
In regards to the gap analysis, the students are currently not performing at the expected
level in incorporating figurative language in their own writing. They should, by this grade level,
be able to consistently refer to figurative language concepts in their narrative writing. With the
writing program currently in place, which is based on Lucy Calkins writers workshop, the
students should be focusing on elaboration and craft. Both these areas involve using figurative
language to enrich and make more powerful the students writing. Since the students have been
exposed to these concepts every year since third grade, the goal is to introduce another more
immersive experience after reviewing the concepts and promote the retention, application, and
synthesizing of ideas. The proposed instruction is cost effective in that the materials, hardware,
and software are already available and will involve no cost to implement. By using such an
immersive and collaborative tool such as Minecraft, the students may also strengthen their ability
to work together as peers, and this may in turn help them collaborate in their own peer to peer
editing when writing their writers workshop papers.

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Learner Analysis
The majority of the students are native speakers who are also bilingual. There are only a
handful of ELLs, who are currently advanced in their English level, and will not require
modification of the content. All the students are enthusiastic about using technology, and this
will be utilized to challenge the students to engage in an academically demanding task. Over
90% of the students were proficient or above in their scores for the 4th grade CAASP test from
last year (see appendix D). This will further allow the instruction to focus on tier 3 or tier 4
critical thinking tasks in the instructional design goals. The organization the students participate
in is called CLIP which is a Mandarin immersion program at the Meyerholz Elementary school
in the Cupertino school district. The population is mostly Asian, with ten percent being white and
less than one percent being Hispanic or African American. Many of the students, especially the
males, are familiar with Minecraft, and all the students are comfortable with using a range of
technology including tablets, laptops, and desktop machines which run Mac OS, IOS, Android,
and Windows seven operating systems. The district has further mandated, that the students will
have daily usage of technology for collaboration and critical thinking skills.
The typical learner in the class is ten years of age, likes to engage in new content, and is,
especially when allowed to work with others, enthusiastic towards learning.
The learner analysis has been constructed over the course of the school year, which is
nearing the half way point. The teacher has had access to assessments, day to day observation of
the students work habits, as well as attitudes toward learning.
The instructional experience as designed, should appeal to classroom learners, especially
those that have not experienced Minecraft before. Students that already play Minecraft will have
to be given special support to be successful. These students will have to understand that the

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immersive environment in Minecraft will be considered an extension of the classroom. As such,
activities such as griefing, which is the purposeful bullying of someone in world, and which are a
normal behavior outside the classroom, will need to be discouraged.
The primary consideration, with the diversity in abilities, will include providing support
to those students unfamiliar with how to use Minecraft, while challenging those students who are
more advanced in understanding, to apply what they know to an academic assignment.
Workplace/Environmental/Setting Analysis
The factors that will have a major impact on the instruction will mostly involve
technology. The first part of instruction will involve methods and have expectations that are very
familiar to students and should have an impact on the students learning. The technology
however, will involve the use of shared machines. Students will be working in groups of four
with two students assigned per computer. Without each student being on their own machine,
special consideration will need to be given to how well students support each other and the skill
level the students brings to going into the Minecraft environment.
Being intimately familiar with the classroom for instruction as well as the school
environment. The teaching of instruction will involve making considerations for the unique
expectation for each group of learners. The classroom is supported with adequate computers and
WiFi access. In the center of the room there is a projector, sound speakers, a microphone, as well
as a document camera, and Apple TV to help with instructions. The desks and furniture are
arranged to maximize student interactions and collaboration. Students can easily share
technology and resources as a group of four. The desks are further arranged so that they radiate
outward, from the projector screen in the middle of the wall, so that each student can see and
hear instructions and materials. This gives the students choice in using their preferred learning

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style with accessing many activities. With a space meant to maximize student collaboration and
interaction, the ADDIE process will need to make sure to gather feedback through both formal
document gathering and also informal observational data when looking at the instructions
effectiveness.
Content Analysis
The learning module will involve two parts. Part one will consist of a teacher led
instruction which will be structured with a gradual release of responsibility to the student. The
students will have figurative language modeled for them and then after working as a group will
be asked to individually create examples. The procedure will be well known to the students as
they are already participating in the process with writers and readers workshop models. Part
two will consist of training students to use Minecraft through a tutorial that has several
benchmarks, and afterwards, to move the students to a pre-created world that allows student
groups to work independently of each other.
The students will be expected to have a basic understanding of figurative language. The
primary skills required will involve the ability to work at a table group to problem solve with
peers. The students will be given responsibilities within the groups including reporter, recorder,
and idea generators. The students will also be expected to have basic competency in using a
computer and mouse, including the ability to open and close applications and log into the
Minecraft software. The students will be expected to participate at all times and share what they
learn with their partner group at their table. For the most part there will be minimal pressure to
keep notes or document their learning during the lessons. The content standards for showing
mastery are derived from the Common Core standards for language arts CCSS.ELA-

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Literacy.L.5.5.A Interpret figurative language, including simile and metaphors, in context, and
reading CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4.
The topics that will be covered with figurative language are similes, metaphors,
onomatopoeia, alliteration, personification, and hyperbole.

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Design
The overall design of the instructions was planned to focus on the topic of figurative
language using Merrills First Principles of Instruction as a guide (Merrill, 2002). The cognitive
focus was on moving students through the lowest thinking skills such as (DOK) depth of
knowledge one and two to depth of knowledge three and four. These thinking skills can also be
compared to the cognitive domain in Blooms lowest levels, of knowledge and comprehension in
the old Blooms taxonomy, or understanding and remembering in the revised Blooms, to higher
levels such as evaluation and synthesis in the old Blooms taxonomy, to creating and evaluating
in the revised Blooms (Forehand, 2010).
Literature Review/Environmental Scan
Minecraft Edu is considered by many, a classroom tool which can help inspire and
motivate young learners (Brand & Kinash, 2013, p. 3). Its focus is as a creative tool in the form
of a game (Lastowka, 2011, p. 11). While overall, the students will be given the focus on
Minecraft to show their learning, it is a vehicle for showing understanding of the content
standards. As such it will be used later in the designed instruction. The planned design for the
beginning of instruction is based on a more structured approach for the first part, and to have a
more open design for the second part. The first part assumes that the students will need a review,
based on the completed needs assessment, and can be considered novices for figurative language
content. The idea is that novices benefit from a more formal and structured learning environment
(Quinn, 2009). That being said, the overall design for the first part will consist of Merrills first
principles, and specifically, the first and second principles involving engagement in a real world
problem and activation of prior knowledge (Merrill, 2002, p. 3). The intent is to give the task as
an authentic problem, which will ultimately involve a specially designed world in Minecraft Edu,

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while also reinforcing prior knowledge. The word problem here, is thought of as a whole activity
as Merrill would consider it, and focusing on the game based simulation Minecraft Edu to create
an example of figurative language. Minecraft Edu, while not being used immediately, will be
behind the learning that happens prior to it. The activity will not focus on the topic of figurative
language, as part of the goal is to have students transfer into the real world the skill of
incorporating figurative language into their own writing (Merrill, 2002, p.3).
The incorporation of Minecraft Edu serves several purposes in helping students improve
their understanding and incorporation of figurative language into their writing. There have been
several studies on doing problem based learning with learning games such as simulations and
role playing games in the classroom to support its use. Deborah Blackwell in her dissertation
looked at how a problem based environment, using a type of game with role playing called
altRG, effected the fifth grade students learning and attitudes (Blackwell, 2013, p. 113). She
found that there was an increase in intrinsic motivation on the part of some of the students and
the program promoted collaboration skills. Her study also broke down games into two categories
including mindless play and purposeful play. Minecraft as experienced by several students in the
study was considered purposeful in that the players are aware of their progress within the game
(Blackwell, 2013, p. 93). These ideas are particularly relevant when thinking about Merrills
fifth principle of integration of knowledge or skills (Merrill, 2002, p. 8) and especially in making
a learning experience authentic and purposeful.
Not all the students were completely successful in being immersed in this self-directed
type of learning (Blackwell, 2013, p. 25), and it will be important for students to have had some
practice with this type of learning or to provide guides to help those that are struggling to be
successful. Teachers will need to help create a workflow on using Minecraft, and students will

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also need to be given enough training to be able to participate and successfully fulfill the
objectives for the project (Short, 2012, p. 4). While some students may struggle, it is also
important to consider a students attitude towards learning with Minecraft Edu. With motivation
considered a key component with learning in a more student centered environment, Minecraft
Edu provides a strong foundation to help students overcome difficulties in learning content
(Reiser & Dempsey, 2011, p. 85). One important study looked at attitudes in implementing
Minecraft in a classroom and found that parents, teachers, and students considered it fun and
creative, and specifically for students 98.5% considered it fun, 96.6% said it helped them
discover new things, 96.1% said it increases their creativity, and 83.4% said it enhances their
learning (Jos-Manuel Sez-Lpez, John Miller, Esteban Vzquez-Cano, & Mara-Concepcin
Domnguez-Garrido, 2015, p. 8).
Specific literature, which looked at Minecraft Edu, specifically in the learning of
language arts include Schifter and Cipollones study of how a high school teacher used Minecraft
to teach his English language arts class the ideas of characterization and point of view in a
narrative (Schifter & Cipollone, 2013). While students were given a choice to videotape
themselves or use Minecraft to create their content, the majority used Minecraft and were highly
motivated in the project. Schifter and Cipollones viewpoint on the study and of Minecraft,
looked at qualities of the teachers assignment which were related to situated learning and what
they called socio-constructivism (Schifter & Cipollone, 2013, p. 3). Both ideas relate to the
idea that Minecraft has the ability to recreate or simulate a collaborative environment which
relates closely enough to the real world to promote learning. Their conclusion was that Minecraft
can be a highly appropriate means for students to demonstrate understanding of learning
(Schifter & Cipollone, 2013, p. 4). Ultimately, Minecraft can be considered a highly motivating

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tool, which also gives many opportunities for teachers in an instructional unit, to help students
continue to develop in their writing and thinking (Odonnell 2012).
Learning Objectives
For part one of the instruction, in the cognitive domain, the fifth grade students will be
able to classify example sentences generated by other students based on whether they are an
example of simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, personification, and alliteration with
100% accuracy. For the next section of part one, the fifth grade students will be able to create
example sentences for simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, personification, and
alliteration with 100% accuracy by listening to feedback from peers in class. The learning that is
demonstrated will be a representation of remembering, understanding, and applying as
represented by Blooms taxonomy.
For part two of the instruction, in the cognitive domain, the fifth grade students will be
able to create a Minecraft Edu model of an example of simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia,
hyperbole, personification, and alliteration by screen capturing the model and explaining how it
represents just such an example with an oral and Google Slides presentation. The learning
domains that are demonstrated will be analyzing, evaluating, and creating, again based on
Blooms.
Test Instruments
The summative evaluation will involve students sharing their understanding as a group in
front of the class in the form of a presentation. Afterwards, a rubric will be used for scoring the
presentations based on the effectiveness of creating content, and organization of the topic by the
student groups for giving feedback to the students. For the most part, the testing will involve a
combination of individual, jigsaw groups, and team groups. By using a combination of individual

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and group testing, the students will be given feedback, and also this blending matches the
experience of students working through the content and using Minecraft Edu in a collaborative
manner.
Delivery System and Media Decisions
The instruction will be delivered in the classroom both with instructor led and student
centered group activities. The first part of the instruction will utilize a computer, projector, and
apple TV in order to direct the students learning. Once the background information is given,
then the instructions for group work will also be projected on a screen. The choice of media for
the first part was made to maximize the ability for students to see instructions and also be able to
refer to it during group activities. The use of traditional media including paper and pencil will
also be utilized, mostly for the sake of expediency and having an easily shared space to work
through and communicate ideas. A document camera will be also connected to the projector. The
use of Google presentation will be the primary means through which the media will be organized
by the teacher. For the second part the same computer and projector system will be used to
introduce activities. Afterwards, Minecraft Edu will be projected onto the screen, and students
will be directed on how to complete the activity. Once students are prepared for the activity, then
each pair of students will be given access to a laptop, and communications and instructions can
also be given in world. The instructors perspective in world will continue to be projected onto
the screen for students to see other group activities. The reason for this continued use of the
instructor perspective is that students, with the limits placed on not being able to move beyond
the plots of land they are given, will not have other opportunities to see outside of their
boundaries. This will allow the students to share ideas outside of their groups to the whole class.
The choice of delivery and media is meant to follow the gradual release of responsibility, in that,

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the first part is more teacher centered with groups able to share via the teachers tools. The
second part, by primarily using the in world view of Minecraft Edu, will shift the focus onto a
more student centered experience. After the activities are completed, the students will present
their own examples using Google Presentation and a projector.
Instructional Strategies and Activities
The instruction will take place over the course of six to seven days depending on
students mastery of content and technology, with the expectation that the lessons and activities
will fit into forty-five minute blocks of time. The instruction and activities will take place as
follows:
1. Opening Hook: Students will be asked to share how much they know about
figurative language. The examples shared can be written on the whiteboard or
typed on a Google doc to be projected. Since students have been writing already
in a narrative genre, a discussion on why figurative language makes writing more
powerful will also be initiated. The importance of this activity is to draw on the
students background knowledge and to use this information as an informal
observation of students understanding.
2. Model: After using a tool such as Google search to capture images, which lend
themselves to creating figurative language examples, a Google presentation will
be created, and each slide can be an example of each concept with a sentence
already created. The teacher will review each of the figurative language concepts
with the example picture and sentence. The teacher will then share an example
photo that is different for each concept and create example sentences in real time
for each photo. This will explain the various photo examples with a simile,
metaphor, hyperbole and personification. Examples for alliteration and

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onomatopoeia will also be shared but use the photo only as a topic for the
sentence. The importance here is for the instructor to model how to create,
struggle with making examples, and ask for student feedback for help, as would
happen if a group of students were working together.
3. Guided Practice: Another set of photos on the same or different subjects will be
needed for student groups. The teacher will explain, that students working with
their table group of four will work together after being given a set of photos to
create their own example sentences for each of the figurative language topics. The
students will be given a thirty-minute block of time to create examples and be
instructed to take on the responsibility of reporter, recorder, and idea generators.
At the end of the time, the groups reporter will need to be prepared to share their
sentences to the whole group. This will foster discussion and analysis of these
different examples as mentor texts that the students will then be able to later
incorporate into their own examples. Depending on what was accomplished
previously, this may take place during the end of the first day or be a separate
days activity. As students present, the teacher will be given the opportunity to
help clarify any of the confusing examples given, incorporate student feedback,
and ensure that students understand sentences which are correct or need further
clarification. It will be important for students to identify examples and also to
share their understanding of what they mean. Depending on the information
provided by the informal observations of groups and their activities, the teacher
can work further with small groups of students during the independent practice
activities.

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4. Independent Practice After completing the previous activities the students will
need to be prepared to incorporate Minecraft Edu into their learning. A tutorial
world will be used that is available for download through the Minecraft Edu
website, and all students will go through the world together in groups of two. The
partner that has the most experience with the program will be asked to observe
and help the other partner navigate and learn the essentials of how Minecraft Edu
works. This should take no more than one of the forty-five minute blocks of time.
Afterwards, the teacher will load another world that allows up to sixteen groups of
students to function separately in a world. This world is especially designed so
that students cannot harass or damage other group activities or creations. The
teacher will project the requirements of the project on the whiteboard, which is to
create an example model and sentence using the creation tools in Minecraft Edu.
The instructions will include the review of how to screen capture images and
incorporate them into a Google presentation. Most likely, a screencast can be
quickly created and posted on a classroom webpage or YouTube for students to
refer to if needed. The students will be given two days to create and capture their
content and write example sentences. The grading rubric will be shared at this
time so groups will have a clear understanding of expectations for their
presentations. A final day will be used for students to share their creations as a
group in a Google Presentation. During the presentation, a backchannel called
Todays Meet will be used so that during the presentation students can give
further feedback to their peers on what was observed for the content and oral

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presentation. There will be an opportunity to share both the positive and
constructive suggestion on issues or confusing elements of the presentation.
The overall goal is to move from a controlled environment where content and
concepts are to be narrowly focused on, to more of a constructivist one in which the
simulation of the real world in Minecraft Edu will allow the unhindered creation and
construction of understandings unique to the dynamics of each of the student groups.

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Development & Implementation
In implementing this project, it will be important to take into consideration several
factors. Many schools today still do not have access to a complete set of presentation tools or
hardware that could run an instructional material such as Minecraft Edu. Another consideration is
the technical ability of the instructors and their willingness to do a project with students that have
greater understanding of the tools of instruction than the instructors themselves. It may be
necessary in order to have the unit succeed with a wider group of instructors or students, to
modify some of the materials and reduce the technical level expected for instruction.
List of Major Deliverables
The major deliverables for this project include:
1. Google presentation or PowerPoint with slides for instruction and examples of
figurative language.
2. Collection of copyright free images either from public domain or Creative Commons
image sites.
3. Consumable worksheet pages for recording of group work, including group jobs and
example sentences.
4. Packaged server software to be installed on the instructors computer that includes
both the tutorial world and the world to be used for figurative language. These
materials are premade so no new designing is needed.
5. Screencast using Camtasia or Screencast-o-matic to show students how to capture an
image in Minecraft and import it into a Google Presentation
6. Paper copy of instructions for the students which will be an outline of what is
expected.
7. Minecraft Edu navigation sheet for showing students basic navigation. This can be
found on the Minecraft Edu site
8. Rubric for summative evaluation of student presentation or project
9. Formative evaluation or pre-test on figurative language concepts

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It will be important as the deliverables are created, to consider the degree of support
needed for the students. Some students may need to have more scaffolding for understanding the
concepts as well as creating the example sentences. It may be necessary to have a sheet always
available which has the definition of the terms for students to refer to. The primary focus on
creating the deliverables will entail making sure the software works properly on the instructors
computer, and that the student computers are properly set up to also run the client software to
access the server. The tools for students can easily be adjusted as screen capture software is built
into the operating system, but the correct version of Java, which Minecraft runs under, and
access to either Google Presentation or PowerPoint for presentation will need to be checked. As
software is being set up, the creation of the instructors presentation and the required images can
also be started, but with these tools there are fewer chances of a technical problem or difficulty
accessing the necessary content.
Development Plan
The development will will depend on several milestones being met. The first milestone
will involve both a technical focus and drafting of the actual content for text. The primary focus
will be, and depend on, making sure that the technology that will be utilized is installed, tested,
and purchased. The classroom will need to have some basic projection system, and in the
Cupertino School District a base configuration provides for this need in each classroom in the
district. The server software and client licenses for at least fifteen computers will cost
approximately three hundred and thirty dollars. The other software and resources will entail no
cost as long as a basic set of student computers and projection equipment is available. If an
instructor is not capable of running the server software there will be an additional cost to have
the software hosted on the Minecraft Edu servers. So the first milestone will focus mostly on

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 25

drafting content, purchase, setup, and installation of software. The second milestone will be
much shorter in duration with minimal potential problems and will entail creating a Google
presentation template, downloading the required photos, creating the example sentences, and
creating the student worksheets and rubrics for the final presentation. This will be the
development for plan A. Plan B, in case needed, will focus on substituting mostly paper based
media for technology that may fail or not operate properly.
Implementation Plan
The role of the instructor for this project, will involve the ability to take on the needs of
direct instruction, guidance with student use of technology, and the facilitator role as student
groups work independently. The instructor needs to be able to project a computer image onto a
screen and help facilitate the use of the Minecraft Edu world by students. The instructor will be
given a basic background training on the use of Minecraft Edu. The instruction for the
instructional unit can be done by one individual with a basic understanding of technology. The
instructor will need to have some experience on classroom management of electronic devices
and an understanding on facilitating a student centered experience, in which the final product
may be different for each student group.

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 26

Evaluation
The primary evaluation tool for the project will be done by collecting data through
Google forms both from the instructor and the students.
Formative Evaluation
The use of Google forms for a formative evaluation will allow for the modification of the
forms based on the needs of the instructor and the type of student being instructed. It will be
important to take into consideration technical abilities of the instructors and the cognitive ability
of the students, so that differentiation of materials is possible. These two focusses will be
reflected in the formative evaluation. There will need to be different successful pathways that can
be taken through the instructional unit and still allow for the success of both the instruction and
the students presentation of understandings (see appendix A for form).
Summative Evaluation
The summary evaluation will consist of a four-point rubric to evaluate the figurative
language sentences and images captured from Minecraft Edu. The teacher will also evaluate the
group presentation for preparedness and organization.
(see appendix C for rubric)

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 27

References

English Language Arts Standards Language Grade 5 5 a. Retrieved December 2, 2015,

from http://www.corestandards.org/ela-literacy/l/5/5/a/
English Language Arts Standards Reading: Literature Grade 5 4. Retrieved December 2,
2015, from http://www.corestandards.org/ela-literacy/rl/5/4/
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and
Development: ETR & D, 50(3), 4359.
Forehand, M. (2010). Blooms taxonomy. Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and
Technology, 4147.
Brand, J., & Kinash, S. (2013). Crafting minds in Minecraft, 55, 56.
Lastowka, G. (2011). Minecraft as Web 2.0: Amateur Creativity & Digital Games. Available at
SSRN 1939241. http://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1939241
Quinn, C. (2009). Social networking: Bridging formal and informal learning. Learning Solutions
Magazine. Retrieved from http://ww.w.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/eLearning
%20Guild/Social%20Networking%20-%20Bridging%20Formal%20and%20Informal
%20Learning%20(Feb%2009).pdf
Blackwell, D. (2013). Effects of Problem-based Learning on a Fifth Grade Language Arts
Classroom. University of North Texas.
Short, D. (2012). Teaching scientific concepts using a virtual worldMinecraft. Teaching
Science-the Journal of the Australian Science Teachers Association, 58(3), 55.
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2011). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology.
Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

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Jos-Manuel Sez-Lpez, John Miller, Esteban Vzquez-Cano, & Mara-Concepcin

Domnguez-Garrido. (2015). Exploring Application, Attitudes and Integration of Video
Games: MinecraftEdu in Middle School. Journal of Educational Technology & Society,
18(3), 114128.
Schifter, C., & Cipollone, M. (2013). Minecraft as a teaching tool: One case study. In R.
McBride & M. Searson (Eds.), Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education
International Conference 2013 (pp. 29512955). New Orleans, Louisiana, United States:
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Odonnell, L. (2012) Teachers Guide: Five ways Minecraft (and other video games) can boost
student writing skills. Retrieved December 5, 2015, from
http://liamodonnell.com/feedingchange/2012/04/16/teachers-guide-five-ways-minecraftand-other-video-games-can-boost-student-writing-skills/

Learning Figurative Language using Minecraft Edu 29

Appendix A
Evaluation after completion of course for pilot class by target audience

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Appendix B
Student Formative Evaluation before the start of instruction with random question order.

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Appendix C
Summative evaluation for student presentation on Minecraft Edu models and figurative
language sentences.

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Appendix D
CAASP scores for 2015 testing.

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