Skills Miner is a collection of four custom levels inside the Minecraft game. The players complete tasks, solve puzzles, and find logical solutions to problems.
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The intention is to uncover engineering skills in players, award them online badges, and direct them to meaningful “real-life” content to inspire a generation of engineers. The game can be used by teachers as part of a lesson plan, or independently by learners/young people. Skills Miner has broad appeal across genders, and is a useful resource for students from a neuro-diverse background.
Learners can be introduced to engineering in a familiar and unintimidating setting. The testing we did with disadvantaged young people in conjunction with the Prince’s Trust resulted in children who had previously struggled academically recognising their potential, providing them with a huge confidence boost, and a renewed engagement with learning.
The content that we direct players to breaks down existing stereotypes of engineering, and showcases a wide range of diversity, both in terms of potential careers in engineering, and the people from a range of different backgrounds who already working in fulfilling engineering careers.
Badges are awarded in the game and upon completion of the game, players will have a suite of badges demonstrating all of the skills that they have demonstrated to complete the game successfully. These skills range from problem solving to application of knowledge, and from critical thinking to navigation.
We suggest children under the age of 14 playing this game as part of their learning to introduce them to a wide range of STEM careers ahead of choosing their GCSE options.