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  1. The importance of promoting interest in STEM is crucial to the recruitment and retainment of underrepresented populations in the STEM field. We created a one-week summer camp program centered around astronomy using Minecraft to help promote interest in science. We capitalize on data logs collected from two 1-week camps in summer 2019 and code scientific observations made by campers for the types of scientific observations and their level of quality using Cohen’s Kappa. Results showed that the majority of observations are descriptive, comparative, inferential, or analogous, as opposed to being off topic or factual. We discuss possible reasons for this distribution and design implications for future reiterations. 
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  2. The goal of What-if Hypothetical Implementations in Minecraft (WHIMC) is to develop computer simulations that engage, excite, and generate interest in science. WHIMC leverages Minecraft as a learning environment for learners to interactively explore the scientific consequences of alternative versions of Earth via “what if?” questions, such as “What if the earth had no moon?” or “What if the earth were twice its current size?” Learners using our mods are invited to make observations and propose scientific explanations for what they see as different. Given ongoing discoveries of potentially habitable worlds throughout the Galaxy, such questions have high relevance to public discourse around space exploration, conditions necessary for life, and the long-term future of the human race. Studies in our project are occurring across three informal learning settings: museum exhibits, after school programs, and summer camps. Our research is driven by the following research questions: 1. What technology-based triggers of interest have the strongest influence on interest? 2. Which contextual factors are most important for supporting long-term interest development? 3. And, what kinds of technology-based triggers are most effective for learners from audiences who are underrepresented in STEM? 
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  3. Diversity has been a prevalent issue in the American STEM workforce for a number of years. Efforts to increase diversification have resulted in alternate learning spaces such as makerspaces, after school programs, and technology integrated curriculums. Our study, hosted at a non-profit organization serving underrepresented youth, leveraged the video game Minecraft (MC) as a way to engage summer campers in scientific concepts and inquiries over one week. Reoccurring themes from interviews include familial rules on technology use at home, engaging with STEM in a novel way, and a love for building and creating within MC. We discuss our insight into the discoveries and challenges of these types of STEM-oriented program that takes place in informal settings. 
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  4. After a brief review of the science of interest and the game of Minecraft, we present a taxonomy of common Minecraft actions and activities and propose that they represent links to specific STEM disciplines. We then discuss the development of a Minecraft survey intended to identify STEM-related interests, and present the results of a pilot study using the survey in three Minecraft camps held in the summer of 2017. We describe the most and least popular Minecraft activities, and report initial analyses of the surveys, revealing potential connections in the earth, biological, and environmental areas of STEM. 
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  5. This paper addresses the relationship between one of the most popular video games in history (Minecraft) and STEM education. It describes a taxonomy of STEM-relevant Minecraft activities (e.g., designing and building automated farms) and their relationship to a wide range of STEM disciplines as defined by Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP; a product of the US Department of Education). Based on interviews with expert Minecraft players, academic research that analyzes Minecraft's educational uses, existing game documentation, and feedback from STEM experts, the taxonomy provides the foundation for better understanding how playing the game may inform the development of STEM interest, and how educators may best leverage those connections. 
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