Alternative Learning Experience with Microsoft: Exploring Tsim Sha Tsui in Minecraft
2021/06/15
Under the epidemic, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong suspended off-campus activities to ensure the health and safety of teachers and students. However, it limited the opportunities for students to learn in real-life settings outside of campus.
In view of this, Microsoft Hong Kong, CubicHK and Kaifong Tour launched the “Let’s Play in Tsim Sha Tsui” workshop, to provide an unforgettable learning experience to the pupils. Moving the traditional excursion to the online Minecraft educational platform, we combined interactive games and community guided tours.Through a virtual excursion experience, students can explore and understand local communities’ history and cultures even at online classes.
The production teams of Microsoft Hong Kong and CubicHK have carefully recreated all parts of Tsim Sha Tsui at a 1:1 scale on the Minecraft platform, providing students with a virtual environment reassembling Tsim Sha Tsui but in a Minecraft version. Students could visit landmarks such as the Clock Tower, Star Ferry Pier and Hong Kong Space Museum.
Recreated Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower on Minecraft (left) vs the Clock Tower in reality (right)
Area in Tsim Sha Tsui encompassing Star Ferry Pier and Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Hong Kong Space Museum
‘’Distance learning has brought unprecedented challenges to both teachers and pupils,’’ says Serena Cheung, Director of the Public Sector Group (PSG) at Microsoft Hong Kong. She further explained, ‘’when planning lessons, teachers need to balance between presenting knowledge and maintaining the interactive elements of the lessons, in order to ensure students are motivated to be active and engaged. Microsoft is committed to working with the Education sector, in bringing alternative distance learning experiences through various interactive platforms.’’ Through gaming sessions on Minecraft, students learned about Tsim Sha Tsui’s unique landmarks and characteristics, deepening their understanding of the district as a part of Hong Kong’s history and cultures.
Workshop highlights
- Named “Let’s Play in Tsim Sha Shui”, this workshop is designed to be an online community adventure. From 21st to 30th June 2021, a class session can be arranged into the post-exam period schedule, which allows students to wander in Tsim Sha Tsui in an online game format that lasts for 1 to 2 hours. In the game, students were instructed to complete designated learning tasks, including dialogues with virtual characters and quiz games related to the history and culture of Tsim Sha Tsui.
- Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Guided Tour “Walking in Communities in Minecraft” was held as an online streaming format on 9th July 2021 on YouTube, which could be viewed by teachers and students in school. During the live stream, a community guide wandered with participants through different places in Tsim Sha Tsui, talking about the district’s cultural development and history. The event was streamed in Cantonese.
The event was free and open to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. All participating schools were provided with teaching kits specially designed for the game session.
In addition to the activity, new solutions have also been introduced by Microsoft to participating schools, including free complementary Microsoft applications for trials, as an initiative to promote STEM education.
For enquiries about similar activities in the future, you are invited to stay tuned with Kaifong Tour’s website or contact Microsoft HK via hkedu@microsoft.com.