© CCEA 2020

Single and multiplayer game-play This guide provides a quick overview of how to use both single and multiplayer game-play in

Minecraft: Education Edition.

If you have further questions about single or multiplayer using the Vikings resource contact jgray@ccea.org.uk

Teacher Resource

Single and multiplayer game-play

1

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

New words and phrases Singleplayer Multiplayer Cheats Slash command Target selector World builder status

You may find it useful to introduce pupils to new words and phrases. The amount of detail you use when explaining these terms will depend on the age and prior knowledge of the children.

If you are sharing your STEM in Minecraft activities through social media remember to tweet it to us!

@CCEA_info #playcraftlearn

2

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

Types of game-play

Minecraft: Education Edition includes two main types of game modes:

Singleplayer mode

Singleplayer mode is a way of playing Minecraft on a local machine. Pupils can only see themselves in the Minecraft: Education Edition world. This can be a useful way to start your sessions. Pupils save their work locally. If you are using a C2K device on the C2K network please see our support document on how to save pupil work.

Once you are familiar with the software and feel ready to take the next step, consider using Multiplayer mode (detailed below).

Multiplayer mode

Using Multiplayer mode you can have up to 30 children in one world. This offers a multitude of collaboration opportunities and they are highlighted throughout the STEM in Minecraft resource.

There are two ways to approach multiplayer mode in the classroom:

• A set of smaller groups using multiplayer worlds. Consider getting the children into small groups for example: 4 devices with 1 or 2 children to each device. Set up 1 of the devices as the host, allowing the remaining children in that group to join and all work collaboratively. This is an easier way to start exploring multiplayer. Its more manageable working across smaller groups, with each group adhering to their specific goals in-game. When you and the children are ready, consider trying a larger whole class session, detailed next.

• A large whole class session with all the children in the Minecraft world, running it from the teacher’s machine. In this instance the teacher is the host. Minecraft: Education Edition offers up to 30 players in one world. If your class size exceeds 30, consider pairing up some or all of the children. It will be an active and noisy session. Many of the activities on the STEM in Minecraft site include multiplayer sessions. Follow the steps in the STEM in Minecraft activities and the guidelines for co-operative gaming techniques to get the most from this type of session. It can be very rewarding for children and teacher and offers lots of opportunities for the children to work together. Our resources offer many sign posts to make the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities explicit during multiplayer sessions.

3

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

To set up a Multiplayer session, hosted on the teacher or small group devices follow these steps:

Step 1: Setting up the host world(s)

This step should be carried out by the teacher (if creating 1 whole class multiplayer world) or at group level by pupils (if creating small group multiplayers)

1. Open Minecraft: Education Edition. 2. Select the STEM in Minecraft Viking world. Learn how to load the STEM in Minecraft

Viking world. On other occasions you may wish to create your own world. 3. Choose Settings. 4. Choose Multiplayer and toggle the Multiplayer Game and Visible to LAN Players sliders

to ON (toggles positioned to the right). 5. Choose Multiplayer. 6. Choose Create.

4

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

Using only the host devices, name the world(s). If you are doing small group work ask the pupils to pick a group name for their multiplayer world, so they know it is their world, as all the hosted worlds will appear in the friends list.

Set the Default Game Mode to creative or survival, depending on the activity:

World Options

Using only the host device(s):

• Toggle Show Coordinates to on. • Also toggle Fire Spreads, TNT Explodes and Mob Loot to off.

5

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

Cheats

Using only the host device(s):

• Toggle Activate Cheats to on. • Toggle Always Day to on.

Enable world builder

World Builder status is a player setting, that when set to true, allows a player to place or mine blocks in that Minecraft world. Tip! If you find children are unable to mine or place blocks in a multiplayer session, it’s most likely they need to enable world builder status using the following slash command:

• Make sure cheats are switched on. See the previous step.

• Return to the game. Press t to open the chat window and type the following command:

/ability @a worldbuilder true

It is important to type the command exactly as noted above. Each player in the hosted world now has permissions to place or mine blocks. The “@a” element of this slash command is called a target selector – it tells Minecraft who to apply the command to, in this case “@a” targets all – all players in the hosted world. To learn more about slash commands, world builder status and target selectors visit the Minecraft: Education knowledge base. Next, ask the pupils at group level or whole class to follow the next steps so they can enter the multiplayer world(s).

6

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

Step 2: Create an avatar

If they haven’t already ask pupils to choose an avatar. Ask pupils to:

1. Log into Minecraft: Education Edition. 2. Choose Settings. 3. Choose Profile. 4. Add their name and close this screen.

5. Next ask pupils to return to the main menu and tap the coat hanger icon to choose an avatar skin from the Default set and tap Confirm.

7

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

Step 3: Join the host world(s)

Pupils should follow these steps to join the hosted world(s). Please note if you are doing smaller group hosted worlds, the children who are hosting those group world do not need to join as they are the hosts:

Ask the children to:

1. Open Minecraft: Education Edition. 2. Choose Play. 3. Choose the Friends tab. 4. Choose LAN Games. 5. Choose the name of the teachers world (if doing a whole class world) or the name of

their smaller group world (if doing smaller group worlds).

6. Pupils will join their group’s multiplayer world.

Name of the pupils group world

Name of the pupil hosting the multiplayer world

8

Single and multiplayer game-play

Teacher Resource

World builder - additional tip

Should you find children joining a hosted multiplayer world are still unable to mine or place block ask them to check their individual world builder status. Children should:

• Go to their world settings and make sure cheats are switched on. • Return to the game.

• Press t to open the chat window and type the following command:

/ability @s worldbuilder true

The “@s” element of this slash command is called a target selector – it tells Minecraft who to apply the command to, in this case “@s” targets self – the individual player who has enabled it. To learn more about slash commands, world builder status and target selectors visit the Minecraft: Education knowledge base.

Gaming servers

This resource covers only multiplayer via local network.

This resource does not cover Server play and it is not recommended in the classroom and may also be blocked via the managed network.