Author(s)

Xu Rui ¹, Tang Hui ¹, Zhang Yuzhu ¹, Tao Bolan ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China

Corresponding Author

Xu Rui

ABSTRACT

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the digital gaming industry, gamified learning has become a key direction for teaching reform in higher education. Taking the introductory foundation course 'Spatial Expression' in the landscape architecture programme as the research focus, this paper addresses the practical challenges of traditional landscape design classrooms—which place heavy emphasis on theory at the expense of practice—as well as the weaknesses in spatial cognition, insufficient three-dimensional visualisation, and low levels of active engagement among first-year students. To this end, the 3D sandbox construction game Minecraft has been integrated into the course's practical teaching. Students can independently construct landscape scenes and explore them immersively, gaining an intuitive understanding of spatial scale and landscape aesthetics, whilst identifying design flaws and iteratively optimising their proposals in real time. Teaching practice has demonstrated that the Minecraft virtual platform serves as an effective supplement to traditional landscape teaching, significantly enhancing students' interest in learning, their level of spatial cognition and their ability to gauge scale. Based on the findings of these experiments, a digital teaching application framework for landscape design incorporating virtual reality technology has been developed. A new 'three-in-one' teaching model—comprising 'Case-based teaching + Minecraft gamified scenario-based teaching + Minecraft digital construction practice'—has been proposed, providing practical guidance and fresh perspectives for the innovative reform of planning and design courses in landscape architecture programmes.

KEYWORDS

Minecraft Virtual Platform; Gamified Learning; Landscape Planning and Design; Spatial Expression; Teaching Reform

CITE THIS PAPER

Xu Rui, Tang Hui, Zhang Yuzhu, Tao Bolan. Exploring the Use of Virtual Gaming Platforms to Enhance Teaching Reform in Landscape Planning and Design. Advances in Educational Technology and Psychology (2026). Vol. 10, No. 4, 32-38. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/aetp.2026.100405.

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Sponsors, Associates, and Links

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• Curriculum and Teaching Methodology
  
  
• Transactions on Comparative Education
  
  
• Applied & Educational Psychology
  
  
• Advances in Vocational and Technical Education
  
  
• Adult and Higher Education