Minecraft has been used in educational settings for quite a few years now, but the original game wasn't designed expressly with that use in mind. That's why Minecraft: Education Edition was created back in 2016 with a number of unique administrator controls and features to provide teachers with additional tools to facilitate learning through Minecraft.
One drawback to Minecraft: Education Edition is that it is only available on Windows, macOS and iPad OS while Chromebooks dominate the education market these days. As such, it is of no surprise that Mojang Studios is currently beta testing a version for Chrome OS (via Windows Central).
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While it remains a beta at the moment, and there is no confirmed timeline for an official release, this is a potentially massive expansion for the game because education in the Chromebook market has mushrooms again this year. At-home learning is driving more school districts and parents to turn to Chromebooks as some of the best laptops for remote learning.
At present, the beta is open to anyone with a Microsoft 365 Education account, they simply need to sign into their account once they have downloaded the app and they will be granted access to the beta.
There are thousands of existing lessons for Minecraft: Education Edition already that cover subjects from math, chemistry, history, engineering, languages and art.
As educators look for new tools to engage students at home, Minecraft: Education Edition could be a solution for many more students once it is officially available for Chrome OS.
