Role of the educator
The benefit of using a tool that students are already familiar with is that you aren't expected to be the subject matter expert. In most cases, you have students with a wealth of Minecraft and gaming experience who you can encourage to assume a leadership role. Not only that, but by promoting a fail-forward mindset in your learning environment, you and your students can explore questions you don't have the answer to and problem-solve together!
So where do you come in as an educator and as a coach? By facilitating learning opportunities during and beyond the game! You do this by:
- Establishing expectations: Work with your students to collaboratively establish the expectations of your esports program. Involving your students in this process helps ensure they understand expectations and can discuss what they believe are fair consequences for breaching them. Additionally, it can be invaluable to set a foundation of positive and constructive interactions in your esports program. From the beginning; having students greet opponents positively and congratulate them post-match is one of many expectations that lead to a positive competitive experience!
- Consolidating learning: Although we may observe the skills students develop through these experiences, they may need support with identifying what they're learning and how to improve. Asking questions about the decisions they made, what went well, and where there's room for practice, then summarizing back to them, helps them understand the skills they're building and where they can focus their efforts.
- Promoting social emotional learning: We have the critical opportunity as educators to practice social emotional intelligence through esports. As students experience positive and negative emotions, identifying and sharing regulation strategies not only supports students' ability to emotionally regulate more broadly, but improves their performance in-game. The more they mitigate emotions or behaviors that disrupt or put their team at a disadvantage, the more they focus on problem-solving and persevering!
- Supporting holistic wellness: While we have discussed many of the positive skills associated with Minecraft esports and competitive play, it's just as important that we promote a healthy lifestyle beyond gaming. Fostering an environment that promotes all forms of well-being supports students to acknowledge and practice habits that keep them physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.