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‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ free to download in June; Beta program launched in May

| Apr 15, 2016 08:57 AM EDT

Two children try out "Minecraft: Education Edition" and share the fun together.

"Minecraft: Education Edition" will be available for teachers to download for free in June. The beta program of the game will be launched in May for many schools in different countries for feedback.

The education version of the popular game will be launched in June with an early access version for teachers to download, try out for free, and give feedback to the game developer team, according to a post from the game's official website. This game has become one of the testing grounds for different purposes lately like a study in artificial intelligence and team-building for companies.

In May, the beta program of the game will be launched in more than 100 schools in 30 countries, and the test period will only be short. The beta testers will be able to share feedback on the product with Microsoft. The feedback will be used to help them adjust the game for a better experience.

This educational game will be made for teaching children different lessons like cooperation, navigation, empathy, and communicating with their classmates. It will also feature better maps with coordinates, while students will be able to take snapshots of their hard work to save for a dedicated portfolio. The multiplayer mode will also be available to let other students help each other out in creating a world of their own, with the help of their teacher.

The game developers encourage teachers to try out the early access program if they are not familiar with the game, and to teach them how they will incorporate it with their lessons. They also want teachers to check out the resources the develops have developed, including lesson plans like the Great Pyramids of Giza. The "Minecraft" Mentors program will also be available, which lets teachers connect with others who are already experienced with the software, and teach them the basics of the game.

In a different post from the game's official website, Mojang COO Vu Bui said in a statement that the game fits so well in a classroom because it is a creative playground where everyone can come together, and build lessons around almost anything with it. With this game, it will be easier for educators to teach lessons, and have fun with it at the same time.

Check out the game's video below:

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