Episode #49 | Steven Payne - Design Thinking in Action: How Students Solve Real Problems

Here are the key takeaways from your podcast episode with Steven: Game-Based Learning Builds Real Skills - Minecraft and similar games foster critical 21st-century skills like resilience, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. Unlike traditional lessons, students persist through challenges because they’re immersed and motivated. Design Thinking Empowers Student Voice - Design thinking allows students to define real-world problems, ideate solutions, and test their ideas—giving them ownership of the entire process. This approach promotes empathy, iterative learning, and purposeful creation. Minecraft as an Inclusive Learning Tool - Minecraft Education is widely accessible in Australian schools and suits all year levels—from Year 1 to Year 12. It lowers the barrier to entry and can highlight strengths in students who may not normally excel in traditional settings. Wellbeing Themes Come to Life - Projects like the Growing With Gratitude theme park in Minecraft showed how empathy and gratitude can be embedded into engaging digital environments, helping students internalise wellbeing lessons in a meaningful way. Teachers Don’t Need to Be Minecraft Experts - Teachers can focus on setting meaningful learning goals, while students lead the way with technical know-how. With structured lesson libraries and curated worlds, it's easy to start small and integrate Minecraft meaningfully into the curriculum.