Stephen Reid

This session aired at ScIC6 Science is Cool Virtual Unconference on Thursday, July 29, 2021.

Gaming is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries supporting over 400 unique and future-proof job roles. More people will watch esports in the US in 2021 than any other sport except the NFL. Surgeons who play video games are 37% less likely to make medical mistakes, and 100% likely to complete surgical operations faster. Soldiers suffering immediate trauma, and longer-term PTSD who play video games in the immediate aftermath and regularly afterward are found to recover up to 80% faster. Yet globally, games are still dismissed as tools for curriculum education and social and emotional learning. In this session, we explore just how impactful games, specifically Minecraft, and esports can be for the students in our education system. From Math, science, literacy, and art, to gender equality, the refugee crisis, and civil rights.

Stephen Reid  Senior Customer Engagement PM | Microsoft

Stephen is a passionate advocate of both play as a powerful learning mechanism, and technology as a tool for learning. He has used over 140 off-the-shelf games to teach, with Minecraft in over 70 countries worldwide, as well as building an entire school with a single 3D Printer and running summer camps on farms, in museums, and on archaeological digs. He fosters the strong belief that all learning should be relevant and meaningful to the individual, with intentional real-life connections wherever possible. Stephen created and runs Microsoft's Minecraft Esports programs worldwide in K-12 and Higher Education.

Notes and Resources:

Minecraft for Education

Minecraft Lessons

Availability, Pricing and Licensing Information