Microsoft debuts Code Builder for Minecraft Education Edition

By Jez Corden
last updated

At the #MicrosoftEDU event, Microsoft unveiled a new code construction tool for Minecraft.

Minecraft Education Edition is available for free to schools using Windows 10 S devices, and it's an education-focused version of the hit block-builder game that allows teachers to download lesson plans shared online for various types of classes, including English, Math, and Science.

In the examples shown today, Microsoft demonstrated how Minecraft Educational Edition can plug into existing code-building technologies to help kids learn to code.

Using the popular Tynker plugin, Microsoft showed how kids can place blocks of code with ease and produce instant, recognizable results. Minecraft's code-builder "Agent" allows kids to visualize code being executed in real time, performing loops to craft buildings, for example.

Minecraft's new "Code Builder" can leverage various existing code plugins to help youngsters learn to code. Code Builder can be used in simplistic blocks, or flipped into a more powerful code-view mode.

Minecraft's Code Builder beta will be available as part of Minecraft Education Edition. Head over to the link below for more details.

Minecraft Education Edition

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Managing Editor

Jez Corden is the Managing Editor for Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

6 Comments
  • MS needs to keep going with this.. Train a new generation of youth that MS is where it's at.. They need to fill W10S with EXCLUSIVE apps, and pave they way for a mobile device that's so productive, kids, and adults, will have no choice but to have one... Yes, I brought up mobile again, because I believe that mobile is where it's at, and that everything MS does with W10 is one more foot in the door of mobile for MS
  • Can't wait to get that for my nephew and see what we can really do, it looks very promising. I hope we will be able to build toys and control it with a Surface Device or just any computer and tablets would be cool...
  • Unfortunately you can't.  I was just looking at their website and you must be an educator to purchase this.  There is a section about if parents can buy it and they say no you cant buy education edition but you can buy the regular minecraft.  Only problem there is that you need the education edition to get the prgramming tools they mentioned.  Additionally it looks like you need to be logged in (with an education edition account, I tried to use my regular MS account and it came to a part where I had to confirm that I met the terms which they specifically state that I must meet the educator qualifications) to access the full lessons. "Minecraft: Education Edition is available for purchase by schools, libraries, museums, and participants in nationally recognized home-school organizations." "Can I purchase Minecraft: Education Edition if I am a parent or individual consumer? If an individual is not affiliated with an academic institution, they will not be able to purchase Minecraft: Education Edition. However, they can purchase other versions of Minecraft such as Minecraft for PC/Mac, Xbox, Windows 10, or Pocket Edition. Many educators use these other versions of Minecraft in their classrooms already. Regardless of which version an individual chooses, all educators are invited to learn more at http://education.minecraft.net, where they can ramp up on Minecraft quickly using collateral shared by other educators." Kinda dumb, I'd be willing to spend money to purchase this for my kids but they wont even let me give them my money for it.  I live in a small town in Texas, I can say with 99% certainty that my kids school will never get this.  I have a background that includes some programming, I'm pretty sure I could take those lessons and the Edu Edition and teach my kids some stuff.  Oh well, I guess I can go with Alice or just straight VS community edition.  However, I think Minecraft would have interested my kids way more.
  • We're in a huge metro-area school district. Absolutely no sign of Minecraft EDU, probably because they went with Chromebooks for the students. A shame that not anyone can buy this version of Minecraft, because my kids would be all over it given what I've seen them build in the Xbox version.
  • It's pretty clear that Project Spark's death and Team Dakota's closure were set-in-stone the second Microsoft acquired Minecraft and Mojang. Project Spark was meant to be their product to teach kids how to code and create, but they never pushed it because before it even launched, they were able to acquire Minecraft instead. Don't get me wrong--Minecraft is my favorite game of all time and I think it's a perfect fit for the education sector--but Project Spark was much more advanced, with much more potential, and the costs were already sunk. It would've been nice to see Microsoft let them coexist.
  • I agree with you here. They should have, at least interested team Dakota with Mojang in order to advance Minecraft at a date rate.