With its open-ended nature and robust creation tools, Minecraft has been used to create some amazing things. And as one teacher learned, those very same elements that make the game so compelling also make it a great educational tool. Around two months ago, Joel Levin, a computer teacher at Manhattan's Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, decided to start using the game to teach an entire unit to his first- and second-grade students. The lessons took place almost entirely in the world of Minecraft. And it was a huge hit.

Ars spoke with Levin about what a lesson in Minecraft looks like and why the game is such a good teaching tool.

Prior to the Minecraft experiment, Levin had used a variety of tools to make his computer class more enjoyable for students. Google Earth was used for geography projects, for instance, while other more simple games were used to help teach typing and computer skills. What those tools didn't have that Minecraft does, though, was the ability to keep students engaged.

"l chose Minecraft specifically because it's so open-ended," Levin told Ars. "The game presents you with a huge open world and you can do any of a dozen different preset activities. Or you can go off and create your own content. That alone gives me a ton of freedom to invent content for the kids to engage in. I don't let them just play the game however they want. They must follow a path I lay out for them, which allows me to carry out lesson plans."

Levin also made some changes to the core game to make it more suitable for the classroom. Chief among these was making students invulnerable to damage while playing, so that they couldn't die in the game. Levin first had the idea to utilize Minecraft in his classes while playing the game over summer break, but became convinced it could work when his five year-old daughter began playing it, going so far as to craft a treehouse entirely on her own. Even though he had strong support from the school, Levin still had some initial trepidation about whether or not the experiment would be a success.

"Minecraft is not easy to pick up and enjoy if you've never played this type of game before," he told Ars. "Without a Wii controller in their hands, I worried that kids wouldn't make it over the learning curve. I also worried they would be overwhelmed by the game environments and not be able to focus on the lessons. I worried they would not be able to work together effectively because they are used to playing games where they are the only player. I was worried they would become bored with a game in which the purpose is to create, rather than destroy."

As it turns out, that worry was misplaced—the experiment was a rousing success. Class begins with the students away from the game, as Levin explains the goals for the day. Then they go to work, often in pre-built worlds created by Levin which feature specific tasks to accomplish or puzzles to solve. But they always need to work together.

For example, one lesson tasked groups of two or three students to build a structure with limited resources. Another had them investigating a mysterious pyramid, figuring out how to get inside while at the same time not disturbing the various treasures it contained. Some of the groups ended up building museums to house the contents of the pyramid.

"From day one, the kids are all playing together in a single world," explained Levin. "They must share resources, take turns, work together, and, frankly, be nice to each other. This is usually the first time these kids have had to think about these concepts in a game, but it goes hand in hand with the big picture stuff they are learning in their homerooms. It's amazing to see how many real world issues get played out in the microcosm of the game. Kids have territorial disputes over where they are building. Kids have said mean things to each other within the game or have been destructive with each other's creations."

Levin actually views these negative behaviors as a positive aspect of the lesson, and will often stop the game to address these concerns. He sees it as a way to help shape the way his students behave in an online environment, showing them the importance of acting in a responsible and considerate manner.

"Hopefully they will remember some of these lessons when they finally get Facebook accounts a few years down the road," he told Ars.

The experiment has been so successful that it will continue at the school. In the spring, Levin will be teaching four new groups of students, and soon he'll be starting an after school class as well.

"Over half of my students signed up to take it," he told Ars. "I had to offer it on an additional day to accommodate."

You can learn more about Levin's work at his blog, The Minecraft Teacher.

Listing image by The Minecraft Teacher