Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Media Arts

Committee Chair and Members

Marjan Moghaddam, Chair

Daniel Durning

Keywords

Diverse learners, Education, Games, Minecraft, Prodigy, Video

Abstract

Minecraft: Education Edition is examined as an interactive and educational media object and art form. Through an analysis of its game's UI, interactive design, and user-friendliness, players are immersed in the game. Although Minecraft provides an open-ended design that fosters creativity, freedom, and collaborative learning, its structured instructional scaffolding, adaptive difficulty, and comprehensive accessibility features make it less inclusive for all learners. This thesis argues that these gaps serve as warnings to educational Media Arts practitioners working on interactive media design and lessons about interface design, user agency, and inclusion in game mechanics. This research examines the structure of Minecraft and Prodigy, comparing them to The Last of Us Part II in terms of accessibility, feedback mechanisms, and engagement. This paper examines how the block-based style of Minecraft, its non-linear learning paths, and its UI limitations impact the user experience, relating them to Lev Manovich's interface theories, Marshall McLuhan's media ecology, and universal design principles. Design analysis, comparative rubric, and a user experience case study recommend making educational games accessible and immersive. This research ultimately argues for combining structured learning pathways with adaptive feedback and UI inclusion in sandboxed educational games to create interactive learning spaces that are creatively engaging and provide broad access to diverse learners.

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