SAN DIEGO, CA, July 2016 -- Starting today, any child in the world who can join a Minecraft server can now take a class to get college prep credit in Computer Science through the University of California, San Diego, one of the world’s leading academic institutions. UCSD Extension, the public-facing arm of UCSD, has teamed up with LearnToMod, the Minecraft modding and computer science education software, to offer a new computer science class utilizing the popular video game as an online virtual classroom.
“Introduction to Computer Science with Minecraft Modding” teaches students how to express their creativity by coding in Minecraft. This course utilizes the LearnToMod software, an innovative e-learning software that strives to make Minecraft modding (that is, reprogramming the popular game) as simple as MIT’s well-known drag-and-drop programming language, Scratch.
LearnToMod contains hundreds of tutorials that teach students how to craft Minecraft mods using this visual programming language. Students can easily test their mods in a private Minecraft server at the click of a button.
LearnToMod contains hundreds of tutorials that teach students how to craft Minecraft mods using this visual programming language. Students can easily test their mods in a private Minecraft server at the click of a button.
In this course, students will learn key Computer Science concepts that will serve them well on their path to becoming an advanced coder, including:
- Functions & function calls
- Algorithmic programming
- Loops
- Variables
- Event-driven programming
- Logic statements
- Parameters
- Debugging
The LearnToMod and UC San Diego Extension teams are planning more virtual Minecraft courses are for the future, including courses in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and even the “The Art of World Building”, which will teach students how to use computing technologies to design sprawling, beautiful Minecraft worlds. A Girls-Only class of the “Introduction to Computer Science” is also planned to encourage more participation by women in the growing field of computer science.
Work is evaluated by course designer Dr. Stephen Foster, a UCSD Alum and Co-Founder of LearnToMod. Students who pass the course receive academic credit. Each course lasts 10 weeks and currently costs less than $25 per week.
For more information, go to: http://www.learntomod.com/online-courses/.
