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My nephew and his friends are 8-9 years old, and they're masters at building this stuff. The redstone, the logic, the machines, all of it. It's all they think a

My nephew and his friends are 8-9 years old, and they're masters at building this stuff. The redstone, the logic, the machines, all of it. It's all they think about, all the time. Imagine what potential this early compsci education is fostering? We just have to remind them when they're older and are running things and building amazing stuff that it's NOT OK to blow up other people's stuff with tnt.

DanFeldman 12y ago
When I was taking a digital electronics course in high school, Minecraft was getting huge. We would spend hours playing and usually try to build the stuff we learned about in class. It was an incredible teaching tool, tbh.
shawn-butler 12y ago
Pretty much none. I've never understood why people think gaming or play ever forms the justification or basis for learning. Decade of nonsensical "gamification" studies has had zero effect no matter what Jane McGonigal says. Might get an interest or passion going but it has near-zero lasting educational value.
- ossreality 12y ago
  What a stupid fucking comment. They're implementing programming logic in the game, as children. What a moron.
- ANTSANTS 12y ago
  There's zero educational value in designing and building digital circuits by hand? What?
  - shawn-butler 12y ago
    Not zero. Near zero. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overjustification_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overjustification_effect for a summary And quit downvoting.
    - chandler5555 12y ago
      I think there's a difference between "gamification", i.e. doing tasks for currency, points or prizes, and "video gaming", i.e. creating a circuit so that your house door in Minecraft opens with a switch.
Sukotto 12y ago
I hope it's enough. It's not like young hackers can easily disassemble/reassemble stuff in the real world like we older guys did. And yes, you can take apart a cell phone or a tv or whatever. But the risk:cost ratio isn't nearly as favorable as it was for the previous few generations. The chance of irreversibly breaking it is far higher, and the chance you'll learn very much by just looking are much lower. Likewise, nobody's stopping you from wrapping wire around magnets to make your own memory... but it's not like that's a "thing" kids get exposed to now. But it's all there in minecraft. (It's also seriously hard to find children's science kits worth buying as the culture of extreme protection of children have turned them into junk. This is one of the only frontiers I'm aware of that's open to children (without the guiding hand of a science-mentor) to learn and play and create in this way)
- halfcat 12y ago
  >It's not like young hackers can easily disassemble/reassemble stuff in the real world like we older guys did. Now it's all digital. Everyone is buying their 7-year-old a copy of IDA Pro these days.

DanFeldman 12y ago

When I was taking a digital electronics course in high school, Minecraft was getting huge. We would spend hours playing and usually try to build the stuff we learned about in class. It was an incredible teaching tool, tbh.

shawn-butler 12y ago

Pretty much none. I've never understood why people think gaming or play ever forms the justification or basis for learning. Decade of nonsensical "gamification" studies has had zero effect no matter what Jane McGonigal says. Might get an interest or passion going but it has near-zero lasting educational value.

ossreality 12y ago
What a stupid fucking comment. They're implementing programming logic in the game, as children. What a moron.
ANTSANTS 12y ago
There's zero educational value in designing and building digital circuits by hand? What?
- shawn-butler 12y ago
  Not zero. Near zero. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overjustification_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overjustification_effect for a summary And quit downvoting.
  - chandler5555 12y ago
    I think there's a difference between "gamification", i.e. doing tasks for currency, points or prizes, and "video gaming", i.e. creating a circuit so that your house door in Minecraft opens with a switch.

Sukotto 12y ago

I hope it's enough. It's not like young hackers can easily disassemble/reassemble stuff in the real world like we older guys did. And yes, you can take apart a cell phone or a tv or whatever. But the risk:cost ratio isn't nearly as favorable as it was for the previous few generations. The chance of irreversibly breaking it is far higher, and the chance you'll learn very much by just looking are much lower. Likewise, nobody's stopping you from wrapping wire around magnets to make your own memory... but it's not like that's a "thing" kids get exposed to now. But it's all there in minecraft. (It's also seriously hard to find children's science kits worth buying as the culture of extreme protection of children have turned them into junk. This is one of the only frontiers I'm aware of that's open to children (without the guiding hand of a science-mentor) to learn and play and create in this way)

halfcat 12y ago
>It's not like young hackers can easily disassemble/reassemble stuff in the real world like we older guys did. Now it's all digital. Everyone is buying their 7-year-old a copy of IDA Pro these days.