What is success at Minecraft U?

At Minecraft U, Daniel and I regularly try to gauge the progress our students are making. Among the markers we look for are these:

• Creative expression — Are they doing something new?
• Engagement — Are they immersed in their online work in Minecraft?
• Overcoming hurdles — Can they try hard when they encounter learning challenges? Do they ask for help and push through to master a new skill?
• Self-starting — Do they initiate new projects on their own?

Every child who takes a camp or class with us gets an informal evaluation by their instructors and by Daniel and me, to get a better picture of how they learn, what hurdles they might need to overcome, and what new challenges they are prepared for.

Our instructors respond to raised hands right away. Problems equal solutions. We teach this constantly and eventually a child will see herself as a problem-solver. That’s a mindset we’re looking to cultivate.

Students get bored more easily now. This phenomena is being observed by many professionals in the field of education, for example in the podcast episode “Students’ Diminishing Focus” on Deep Questions with Cal Newport.

We keep reworking our curriculum to make sure it stays fresh and engaging.

Do you have a self-starter at home?

This summer we developed a custom curriculum for one of our most ambitious campers. Check out this Tetris project from the camp. All written by a 12-year-old—conceptualizing and coding at the level of a professional.