Workshop:
ComputerCraft: Teaching Programming with Minecraft
Computer programming is an increasingly important skill for young people to learn. However, it remains fairly inaccessible to the majority of learners. ComputerCraft is an add-on that adds working computers and robots into the popular sandbox game Minecraft. These objects are programmable through the Lua scripting language and can be used to complete tasks inside the Minecraft world. Through ComputerCraft, programming becomes an immediate and useful skill, allowing students to accomplish more in Minecraft’s virtual space. This workshop models an introductory exercise in using ComputerCraft, aimed at educators and students. The players’ first challenge is to create a “Hello World” program. Next, players encounter robots known as “Turtles”, and learn to issue simple commands to them. Finally, players are challenged to program a Turtle to move along a predetermined path. As a result of these exercises, players gain an understanding of ComputerCraft, and by extension, computer programming in general.
Brendon Trombley, Don Miller
