by Timothy G. Weih

Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education

University of Northern Iowa, USA
The purpose of this article is to describe a computer club that was based on the video game Minecraft in hopes that others interested in developing either a Minecraft Club or any kind of a computer club, will find this information useful. The club met in July of 2014 at a public library located in a rural town, i.e., under 10,000 population and not close to a larger city, in the Midwestern United States. The members were eight boys ranging in age from 9-12. The structure and organization of the club followed a format similar to a book club, but instead of a book, the main text was Minecraft.

Content
The club met on Mondays and Thursdays weekly during the month of July from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the meetings were scheduled to fit around the library’s busy summer schedule. The meetings began with the boys gathering around an oval table in a small conference room. This was for the purpose of developing some camaraderie between the boys with the common association of Minecraft through discussion and sharing. The boys talked about the content of the game, their personal achievements, and updates to the game, and they set personal gameplay goals. In addition, the librarians, at my request, had placed numerous books related to the content of Minecraft in the conference room for the boys to browse through while they discussed the game.
The books included titles from the following categories: animals, farming, and crops; rocks, minerals, gems, metals, and mining; land features, biomes, and trees; tools and weapons. Each of these categories was further defined with specific items that were part of the game. Moreover, there were nonfiction and fiction books about survival, hunting, camping, engineering, architecture, smelting, masonry, and Medieval Europe-all topics within the game. The books were spread out on the conference table before the boys, and they would casually pick them up, browse through them, talk about the content in relation to the game, and the books were available for them to check out from the library. The purposes of the books were to help the boys see the relationships between the game, literature, and subjects of study in school, i.e., social studies, science, engineering, architecture, and math. Equally important, the books could help the boys have a deeper understanding of the contents of the game, thereby increasing their knowledge and enjoyment.

The boys also brought items from home to talk about and share that were connected to Minecraft (artifacts of the game). These items included things they made, books, action figures, legos, paper crafts, plush figures, clothes, and soft tools and weapons. The purposes of these items were to further build conversation around the contents of the game, thereby fostering a game-based culture within the club.
During the first club meeting, the boys were each given a booklet that contained a statement about the purpose of the club for the members which was to play and have fun with Minecraft and to talk about the game and learn more about the contents and gameplay with each other. The booklet had the meeting agenda, which was to first meet for 15 minutes in the conference room to talk, share, look at books, and set personal goals for gameplay for that meeting. This was followed by one hour of gameplay on the computers during which members can talk, share, and help each other. The meetings concluded back in the conference room for the last 15 minutes to talk about gameplay, achievements, and game strategy.
The booklet contained the club rules, which were the following: use school or library volume for your voices; when someone is speaking listen without talking; it is okay to disagree, but act kindly and use friendly words; and always let your club leader know where you are in the library, for example, if you go to the restrooms, or if you are leaving to go home. Finally, the booklet contained some basic directions for how to get started in the game and some essentials about how to play the game.
Following the conference portion of the meetings, which lasted about 15 minutes, the boys met at the library’s desktop computers to actually play the game. There were eight computers, separated into groups of four computers to a table, with a large library reference desk service area that separated the two groups. This was located in the central, open part of the library surrounded by the library’s bookshelves, and not in a separate room. The library had reserved and set aside these computers just for the club’s use. The boys played the game on these computers for the remainder of the club meeting time.

Reflections about the Club
Location
The library performed as a central location within the community that most of the boys were able to ride their bikes to, thereby providing for easy access for them. Some boys were brought by their parents along with younger siblings and the parents remained in the library browsing books, attending other programs with their younger children, or doing their own job-related work on their personal, portable computers. Sometimes the parents, along with the boys’ siblings, interacted during the time the boys were playing the game, thereby making the computer club more of a family literacy event, than a detached club. Additionally, other children in the library frequently stood next to the club members while they played Minecraft, which furthered a sense of community.

Schedule
The club met twice a week for four weeks during the month of July. There were many advantages for this type of schedule. Since the club met on Mondays and not again until Thursday, I had an ample time to create any materials that I saw the club members needed and get them ready for the next meeting. I also had time to work out any details that came up with using the library and the computers. Most importantly, the members had a long duration to get to know each other and develop trust and friendship, and this scheduled frame also gave me plenty of time to develop working relationships with the library staff.
Mornings worked out well because most adults from the community were at work and not using the library, and the hour and half of each meeting period gave us enough time to develop camaraderie before gameplay, and still have enough time to play the game. I had initially planned for the boys to meet back in the conference room to discuss their gameplay and have some kind of a conclusion or wrap-up for each meeting, but from the start, it was difficult to get the boys off of the computers, so this never did workout. So, to conclude, I would tell them when our meeting was almost over, and then they either left with their parents, or rode their bikes home.
Procedures
The club was structured around the format of a book club with the video game taking the place of the main “book” or text. Book clubs were planned activities that the library frequently held, therefore, something that was familiar not only to the library staff, but also to many of the children in the club. Giving each member a booklet that contained the purpose of the club, what happens during the meetings, club rules, and some basic directions for how to play the game, proved to be very useful. I saw many of the boys reading through the booklet during the conference time and using it during gameplay on the computers. The same procedures and rules were followed for each meeting, thereby lending a sense of stability for the children.
The Books
The library staff gathered several dozen books all related to the content of Minecraft from the categories and topics that I had given them. These books were placed in the conference room, and I scattered them around the oval table that the boys sat at so they could readily see them. Initially, the boys expressed surprise to see the literature connections of Minecraft, and
the boys frequently picked up the books and looked through them, but they did not bring them to the computers, and they did not check any out during the meetings. The reason for this could be that they were very focused on playing the game, rather than reading books. They may have checked out some of the books after the meetings or even at a different time while visiting the library. Seeing literature related to the content of the game, rather than only manuals on how to play the game, was a new experience for most of the boys, and one that may have delayed results, so I recommend keeping this component of the club.
The Artifacts
The artifacts were objects either self-created or purchased by the boys that were related to the game. This went over very well. All the boys brought items to talk about and share. There was some mock sword fighting that took place, but all in good fun. A standing source of anticipation, amusement, and challenge was to be the first one to spot the ever-roaming plush Creeper that hid in different locations around the conference room. I stressed that they could bring something self-created, and this is very important considering not all families have the same abilities to purchase items and specialty clothing. For example, one boy brought his self-developed journal of handwritten crafting recipes (a major component of Minecraft).
Library Spaces and Materials
The library conference room with its large, oval table situated in a smallish room with huge windows overlooking the library’s prairie gardens provided a place, away from the computers, during which the boys could develop some camaraderie with each other. It was a time to joke around, have mock sword battles, talk about new updates to the game, plan out game strategy, browse books, and to share personal Minecraft artifacts. I had hoped that we could also conclude each meeting in the conference room, but once the boys were actually on the computers, they did not want to leave until the very end.
The library computers were sufficient to play the game, but somewhat slow in loading it. The boys made good use of the time waiting with continued discussion started in the conference room. A major drawback was that the two tables of four computers each were separated by a large library reference desk area. This hampered collaborative gameplay since they all wanted to play together, which they could online, but they also wanted to be physically close to each other for talking, sharing, and helping each other.
The location of the computers in the middle of the library was somewhat bothersome for a few of the adult library patrons because of the noise the boys made while playing. Even though the game itself has very soft internal sounds, the boys got excited when playing and their volume would rise. The library staff were not concerned about this and said they just wanted the library to be an interactive learning place for children. Having the computers in a central location also made the gameplay component of the club accessible for the boys’ families and other children in the library who frequently participated lending a community context to the events.
I had purchased a classroom teacher’s version of Minecraft from Minecraftedu that I downloaded onto the library’s computers. When choosing this version, members, who did not have personal accounts, could play without having to purchase an account first. This worked out well, because several of the boys did not have their own account, and the ones that did, did not know how to log in with their user name and password. Since I already had a version downloaded on the computers, members were ready to play immediately.
Conclusions
This was the first video game club that the library had ever hosted and the first for all of the boys as well. The library staff were very supportive and helpful which made for a positive learning environment. The boys were very excited during each meeting to talk about and play Minecraft together. Even though the game can be played online with multiple players, these players are usually not actually physically with each other, and most of the boys had never experienced playing a multiplayer game, on their own computer, alongside the people they are playing with. When this happened during the club, collaborative gameplay took on multiple levels of communication with the boys helping each other, sharing roles and tasks within the game, narrating their gameplay aloud, and in essence, collaborative gameplay became very real and very exciting. A game-based culture emerged through Minecraft Club.

by Kostas Karolemeas

Computers are everywhere! In our smartphones, in our TVs… even in our refrigerators!

These incredible machines have changed the way we do things. Think about a text editor that helps us write down our thoughts. Also think about social networking and messaging apps that helps us communicate with each other.

Computers have also changed the way we think and make decisions. They give us access to information in ways it was not possible before. Think about the knowledge in Wikipedia and the power of Google Search.

They are arguably an extension to our brain! Imagine the power of being able to control these machines. We would know how to give them step-by-step instructions on solving a problem. Then we would just feed them with relevant pieces of information just get the solution fast and without getting tired. The solution that could make our personal of professional lives better!

The art of programming a computer (coding) is about putting together those step-by-step instructions. Everyone can master it. It takes time as it is the case with any art but we founded Allcancode just to make it doable!

Our game

We believe that the best way to master programming is by making it a fun process through games. Starting from younger kids (6 to 12 y.o.) we designed an adventure game where Marco is the main character. He starts a long journey towards learning more about himself. Down the path friends will help him and enemies will hinder him. Levels or series of them present a goal that the player needs to achieve by giving step-by-step instructions to Marco.

A writer of children’s literature provides the storyline. He works close with the game designer while the end result is validated by teachers in classrooms.

Our visual programming language

We have chosen a custom visual programming language over a real one. It is easier to understand and more fun to apply. Professional developers tend to argue on which is the best programming language. In reality there is no best or worst but more or less suitable for a specific problem / application. Once one masters the art of programming using any language she can then learn and apply any other really fast. The computer language is a means for expressing a solution so that the computer can execute it. The goal is to learn how to put together the solution in the first place. Our visual programming language avoids the syntactic sugar of real ones. This makes it easier to read and understand without sacrificing its expressive power.

Current Status

We have delivered the first 10 levels that teach simple instructions, repeat-n-times and repeat-while. The next 10 levels due in October 2014 will introduce if-then-else. This will complete the first set of levels. The next set will introduce the concept of memory (i.e. variables). In parallel that set will foster the development of simple algorithms. The goal is to gradually present goals, which are more difficult to achieve and thus require complex logic.

The game is available: For browser on Windows and Mac:

http://marco.allcancode.com

T h r o u g h C h rome S t o r e :

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/run-marco/objdeaibfajdoeikopmgincdhjifjfle?hl=en

On Google Play for Android tablets (7″ and up):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.allcancode.runmarco

On iTunes Store for iPads:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/run-marco!/id919554969?mt=8

by Andrew Mills
http://www.bitsandbytes.cards

The beginning of the new school year in England heralded the introduction of a new curriculum for primary schools that was described by some as a “revolution in education”. In what was a world first, these changes include the study of computer coding.

The inclusion of computer coding is a move that should be applauded, especially given the increasing pervasiveness of software and the Internet. Twenty years ago the thought of shopping online was scoffed but since then the prevalence of the Internet has grown exponentially and this is set to continue and escalate well into the future. We see children using tablet devices and computers now, and instantly think these children “know computers” or that they are experts in computers, but nothing can be further from the truth. These children are simply adept at operating an interface, not a computer. If this continues then this generation of children will be nothing more than passive consumers, unable to influence products and services of the future. If we want this generation of children to be a generation of creators then they need to understand computer coding.

This is not to say that every child should be a computer programmer when they grow up but given the current trajectory of technology it will be important for them to be able to understand how computers work and the way computers approach a problem. In the future computers will touch every facet of their lives.

By including computer coding in the national curriculum we are preparing our children for the future, but are we?

In some respects referring to it as “computer coding” in the curriculum is a misnomer (especially for children in KS1). What is actually being taught is the mindset – the ability to approach a problem and devise a step-by-step solution to the problem. What is actually being taught is logical thinking – but I guess calling it “logical thinking” isn’t as sexy on the curriculum as “computer coding”.

I shake my head with despair when I read about primary schools and parents rushing out to buy tablets and electronic devices for children in KS1 classes simply so they can comply with the new curriculum. These purchases stretch already over-stretched budgets and why are we going down this path when there are countless studies saying we should be limiting the amount of “screen time” children have each day why are we encouraging more screen time? I know my children don’t need another reason to stare at a screen.

Over two years ago, before the announcement that computer coding would become part of the national curriculum, I was grappling with this same issue – teaching children the fundamentals of computer coding with a computer or expensive electronic device. After several months I had the answer – a card game. A card game called “Bits & Bytes”.

Bits & Bytes teaches computational thinking (or as I prefer to refer to it – the fundamentals of computer coding) through a simple card game that children of all ages have fun playing – no computer or knowledge of computers is required.

The rules of the game are simple.

Between two and four children can play at once. Each child takes their turn in moving their “programme” (which resembles a monster and their home planet is called Ram), with the objective being to get their programme home. They take it in turns issuing instructions – turn right, move forward, turn around and so on. If they uncover a wall in front of them they cannot move and need to think of another way to reach home. Sounds simple right? And it is.

But that’s just the basic rules – this is where the children start getting creative – and creativity is incredibly important for computer coding (coding is one of the most creative industries).

If the child uncovers a bug they can be sent back to the start or they can play a different rule where they send somebody else back to the start (for children playing who are age 4-5 we recommend everybody goes back to the start). If they uncover the dreaded overlord, Seepeeu (pronounced CPU), then everybody is captured and sent back to the start. Or the children may be very lucky and discover a precious gem like a ruby on Earth but is called a “Function” on the planet Ram. If they discover this gem then the child can play this card and create a function – for example: IF THEN; or DO UNTIL

; the limit on the function they create is their imagination.

After a few times playing, children start creating their own rule for what each card does, which is great. We want children to be creative.

If children master this level of play then it can become more difficult. Either the children can put two or more decks together, making the game grid much larger and thus more complex, or they can even write their very first computer program (without using a computer). In this version of the game, each child takes it in turns to lay out every step in advance that is required to take their programme from start to home. They then run their programme through each step/instruction (effectively a line of code). If they encounter a wall, a bug or the dreaded Seepeeu then their sequence of instructions doesn’t work and they have to debug their code. While they do that the next person has their turn and so on.

This entire process of laying out their code in advance and then debugging is the exact same process as writing a computer program and the children are doing it without a computer (and in most cases they don’t even realise they are coding). Their eyes light up when you explain to them what they have done.

But the game does much more than this. Every part of the game has been designed to make children feel comfortable with computer coding – ready to actually code. The terminology in the game (for example: the character names) uses common computer terms. The font used is commonly found in coding user interfaces. The backstory of the game explains how computers basically work.

Why a card game you might be asking? Out of all the potential formats Bits & Bytes could have taken, a card game provided the most flexibility and encouraged the most creativity. If it had been a board game the players would be limited to the extent of the board, if it were an app the player would have been limited to what the programmer of the app allowed, but a card game is different. Children can increase the game grid to make it more complex (or decrease the size of the grid to make it easier), they can change the rules, and within the same game it’s easy to have different versions of the game to suit the more advanced children.

Not only that a card game is affordable (the price of one cheap netbook is the equivalent of 10 games of Bits & Bytes, which up to forty children can play at once), it doesn’t take up space, children from age 4 through to age 11 can play the game, it doesn’t matter if they can use a computer already or if they are a boy or a girl. It’s a card game.

Children play Bits & Bytes and they are learning computational thinking – the fundamentals of computer coding. To be precise, they are learning:
• Problem solving – Breaking down problems into their components
• How a step-by-step process leads to a solution
• The sequencing of instructions (and once a child has mastered the game they can create their own programs – just like real coding)
• Algorithms (an algorithm is a series of ordered steps taken to solve a problem or achieve an objective)
• Developing a logical mindset
• And much more, and all without a computer or any required computer knowledge on behalf of the teacher or parent.

My background is in computer programming. I’m passionate about it and teaching children to code (I volunteer to teach coding to children in years 5 and 6 at the local primary school). I’m so passionate about teaching children to code that when it came to funding the first production run of Bits & Bytes (through crowd funding) I wanted to not only raise funds but also raise games to donate to primary schools in the UK. At the time of this article we have raised almost 150 games that will be donated to 15 primary schools – that’s 15 primary schools that will be able to teach up to 40 children at once the fundamentals of computer coding at no cost to them. It’s something I hope to be able to continue in the future.