minetest-edutest-ui

This mod provides user interface extensions for the MinetestEDU/EDUtest project. It depends on my fork of edutest-chatcommands mod by Isidor Zeuner.

Contents:

1. Mission statement
2. Dependencies
3. GUI features
   • Components
   • Inventory functions
   • Messaging functions
   • World functions
   • Other functions
4. Installation
5. To Do
6. Other useful mods to use in classroom
7. Some lesson ideas
   • Mathematics
   • Science
   • Languages
8. Screenshots

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Mission statement

The goal of the MinetestEDU or EDUtest project is to make Minetest easy to use by a teacher in a classroom environment. The original idea was described in this Minetest forum thread. The project is a collection of mods (a modpack) that allows teachers to feel in control of the students while in game.

Note 1: Buttons will only show up if optionally their respective mods are loaded

Note 2: The formspec tabs will only show up if player has instructor privilege

Dependencies

• edutest-chatcommands https://github.com/apienk/edutest-chatcommands
• areas https://github.com/ShadowNinja/areas (optional)
• teaching https://github.com/apienk/minetest-teaching (optional)
• invisible https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?t=14399 (optional)
• invmanagement https://github.com/Sirvoid/InvManagement (optional)
• jailbox https://github.com/apienk/minetest-jailbox (optional)
• freeze https://github.com/PenguinDad/freeze (optional)

GUI features

Components

• student selector
• item selector with filtering
• itempack selector
• privilege selector
• area selector areas
• time selector

Inventory functions

• [Give] give items to all students, a student or yourself
• [Give itempack] give itempacks (collections of items) to all students, a student or yourself
• [Store itempack] define a new itempack from your current inventory
• [Del] delete a stored itempack
• [Clear inv] clear inventory of all students, a student or yourself invmanagement
• [Check inv] check inventory of a student
• [Destroy item] destroy the item you wield

Messaging functions

• [Message] message all students or a student using on-screen chat (top of screen, unintrusive)
• [Announce] message all students or a student using a custom dialog (center of screen, stops interaction)
• [Alphabetize] give oneself a complete set of letter/number blocks needed to build a message in the world teaching

World functions

• [Create area] create a protected area (where only the owner can build or dig) for a student or yourself areas
• [Remove area] remove a protected area (where only the owner can build or dig) from a student or yourself areas
• [Open area] open an existing protected area for building and digging by non-owners areas
• [Close area] close an existing protected area for building and digging by non-owners areas
• [Create jailbox] erect an impenetrable and indestructible barrier box (jailbox) around an area to keep students from wandering too far or to protect it jailbox
• [Remove jailbox] remove the existing impenetrable and indestructible barrier box (jailbox) around an area jailbox
• [Bring me to] teleport yourself to a student
• [Bring to me] teleport all students or a student to yourself
• [Time] set in-game time (dawn, noon, dusk, midnight)

Other functions

• [Heal] heal all students, a student or yourself
• [Freeze] freeze all students or a student (also mutes him or her in chat) freeze
• [Unfreeze] unfreeze all students or a student (also mutes him or her in chat) freeze
• [Grant priv] grant privileges to all students, a student or yourself (Note: if you need an assistant teacher grant him/her 'all' privileges)
• [Revoke priv] revoke privileges from all students, a student or yourself (Note: if you need an assistant teacher grant him/her 'all' privileges)
• [Invisible] turn yourself invisible invisible

Installation

• download the repository as ZIP: https://github.com/apienk/minetest-edutest-ui/archive/master.zip
• unpack ZIP to your mods folder: .minetest/mods/ on Linux or minetest-install-directory/mods/ on Windows
• rename folder minetest-edutest-ui-master to edutest-ui
• enable the mod in your world.mt (add line load_mod_edutest_ui=true) or using the game GUI
• don't forget to install my fork of edutest-chatcommands mod (link below) as edutest-ui depends on it
• for complete functionality also install mods: areas, jailbox, teaching (preferably my fork, link below), freeze, invmanagement, bookmarks_gui (preferably my fork, link below), invisible
• to play as teacher grant yourself all privileges (type /grantme all in game)
• students don't need to be assigned any privileges to be affected by all students commands, just leave default (shout and interact)

To do

• ask questions in formspec and aggregate answers
• student groups
• written assignments
• internationalization
• reward system
• controlled PvP

Other useful mods to use in classroom

• my fork of wardrobe mod: https://github.com/apienk/minetest-mod-wardrobe (adds a nice GUI)
• my fork of display_modpack: https://github.com/apienk/display_modpack (adds Unicode support and new character textures for many languages)

Some lesson ideas

Mathematics:

• build a city of buildings and ask students to calculate total blocks per building
• make students build a multiplication table (pyramid) from blocks
• give resources and make students estimate or calculate the number of goods that can be crafted from them (division with remainder)
• set up math problems from teaching blocks and make students compete by trying to find and solve; reward them with diamonds or alike
• calculate height of buildings using Tales equation

Science:

• build a representation of the Solar System using real size and distance proportions (worldedit mod might be handy)
• experiment with conservation of energy by building a rollercoaster (requires carts mod)
• model an atom
• put students in an environment with very limited resources and discuss decisions that would lead to long-term survival
• renewable vs. non-renewable energy sources (requires mesecons or technic mod)

Languages:

• set up a contest where students or student groups compete by building words from letter blocks
• recreate and play a situation from a piece of literature or movie

Screenshots