STEM Company Launches Minecraft Adventure Course to Teach Python

A company that provides STEM professional development and classes has launched a new course intended to teach students how to program using Minecraft and Python. Python Temple, from BrainStorm STEM Education, invites students to take on the role of "codeologist" in a Minecraft adventure game and use Python coding to solve various challenges.

Minecraft is, of course, the wildly popular online platform that enables users to create and explore virtual worlds using small blocks. Python, an open source programming language, has a reputation for being friendly and easy to learn. At each stage of Python Temple, the student learns a new concept, such as sequential programming, variables and conditional statements.

The company undertook development of the game in order to "create a course where coding became an integral part of the gameplay experience," said Darren Jones, BrainStorm CEO, in a prepared statement. The result "is the most captivating and educational coding experience possible."

After downloading and installing the program, users embark on a journey where coding becomes the key to survival. Students watch online videos to learn about the code they'll be creating.

The course offers three hours of instructional content broken up into 20 videos. On average, said Devon McLaren, operations manager, a student will spend about 15 hours of time going through instruction and coding. "Once the students complete the gameplay missions, they can continue on their coding adventure using the knowledge they’ve gained in the course as they have access to the map for over a year," he added.

The price of the course is $199 through the end of 2016 for individuals. For schools, licensing is done on an annual subscription and varies by number of users (typically $99 per computer).

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • row of students using computers in a library

    A Return to Openness: Apereo Examines Sustainability in Open Source

    Surprisingly, on many of our campuses, even the IT leadership responsible for the lion's share of technology deployments doesn't realize the extent to which the institution is dependent on open source. And that lack of awareness can be a threat to campuses.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.

  • colorful panels depicting university housing, meal plans, data analytics, forms, and a student

    New Thesis Elements Student Life Module Integrates Housing, Meal Plans, and Student Services

    Student information system provide Thesis Elements recently launched a new Student Life module that enables institutions to manage student housing assignments, meal plans, billing, and other student services from within the Elements SIS platform.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Introduces AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco announced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.