Pre-service Teacher Education in Game-Based Learning: Analyzing and Integrating Minecraft
Abstract: Pre-service teachers need the skills to identify the suitability of games and to employ games in curriculum development. We present a qualitative study in which one pre-service teacher analyzed and integrated Minecraft in a game-based learning lesson (GBL) plan for teaching English. This study is part of a mixed-methods project undertaken to educate fourteen pre-service teachers in game-based learning using the Game Network Analysis (GaNA) framework. An 11-weeks course prepared pre-service teachers in game analysis, game integration, and ecological conditions impacting game use in school contexts. We illustrate the use of GaNA by one pre-service teacher by describing the characteristics of Minecraft and subsequent learning activities created using the game for teaching English. A rubric based on GaNA facilitated the analysis and integration of Minecraft in a game-based learning lesson plan. Conclusions and implications are discussed for educating pre-service teachers in GBL using GaNA.