May 11, 2020

Game On, Coronavirus


Game On, Coronavirus
Minecraft classes sound way cooler than Zoom classes. Daniil Prokofiev and Ivan Chanyavsky, via Twitter @oldLentach

Resourceful students of Russia's Higher School of Economics have come up with a creative solution to all-online classes imposed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

They, with administration support, have recreated the campus on the popular video game Minecraft. The online space includes lecture auditoria, hallways, libraries, and common spaces.

Construction of the virtual school began in mid-March, and was officially opened May 3, with a ceremony featuring virtual lectures, a meme exhibition, and a concert. All students were invited to participate and were given special instructions to join the celebration. Plans are in place this fall for the virtual recreation to host actual lectures, social gatherings, and open houses.

Minecraft is ubiquitous as the best-selling video game of all time, with over 180 million copies sold worldwide. Players are given free rein in a world made of blocks to build and explore, fighting off monsters.

It's also a great way to spend some quarantine time, in our opinion, although we can't say we're as productive as these students.

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Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

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