Minecraft: A Multidisciplinary Medium A student’s experience making a digital monument to Medicine

The Person

Mia Freeman

  • Neuroscience and Business Management dual-degree student at Indiana University, minor in Public Advocacy & Communication, certificate in the Business of Life Sciences
  • Excited to further explore the nexus of business, research, and medicine in future endeavors
If someone had told me 3 years ago that I’d be sharing my story about anything in the realm of technology or digitalization, I would have laughed in their face.

Until college, my relevant "achievements" in this realm consisted of microwaving my iPhone in a futile attempt to charge it and an array of quotes from a handful of afternoons in Minecraft creative mode with my sister, like “Who put the chickens in the toilet!”

But this changed my freshman year of college when the semester capstone for my rhetoric class was to build a digital monument. With an eventual goal of obtaining my MPH/MBA and working to increase global healthcare access, I wanted to create digital monument to medicine, to creating an accessible and educational experience that gave a brief overview of the past, present, and future of medicine, the “fames and shames” and how these elements connect with each other, culture, and history.

It was going great -or at least, as great as it can go with minimal Minecraft background- until my laptop broke less than a week before the project was due.

The Project

Infinity Sign

The infinity sign of the river signifies the continuity of medicine and how it has a past, present, and future aspect. The interplay between the river and the surrounding buildings points to the interconnectedness of medicine, creating a visual representation of the rhetorical ecology interacting with medicine.

Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Memorial

One soul candle for each man knowingly denied treatment.

Holocaust Experiment Trials

Vignettes of some of the terrible experiments conducted during the Holocaust.

Vaccination Maze

Participants simulate the frustration of vaccine creation through a maze that outlines the steps.

Modern Hospital

Learn about some of the incredible medical advancements by exploring a three-story hospital that details MRI scans, organ translation, and NICU progress.

History of Medicine Garden

The exhibit showcases ancient medicinal practices through culturally specific displays for the Aztecs, Egyptians, Chinese, and Greeks, using materials like sand and pillars to reflect their architectural styles. Interactive NPCs provide detailed insights into each culture's medicinal practices, offering an experiential learning experience.

Spotlight on the Black Plague

The Black Plague’s historical significance is highlighted through a converted schoolhouse turned into a hospital, reflecting the epidemic's impact across its multiple outbreaks.

Emerging Telehealth

The importance and emergence of telehealth are showcased with a modern house featuring a display with a computer and NPCs linked out to further informative resources

Medical Iconography

A massive statue is used to spark conversation about misinformation in medical iconography, reinforcing the correct rod-and-snake symbol through its grand scale.
A tribute to cultural competency in medicine, featuring a beacon for each continent, highlighting its significance for the future of healthcare.

Reflection Area

A reflection area with links to the Spark page, providing additional information and full historical and cultural context, covering the why, how, and what of medicine while giving proper credit.

Digital Elements

This educational experience that integrates various media elements—YouTube videos, Google Docs, research articles, and Adobe Express pages
Synthesizing digital mediums leads to boundless rhetorical innovation.

Audience members can interact with NPCs (non-player characters) to learn more about each monument through a variety of text, as well as links to videos, articles, and other digital mediums.

For example, having the audience interact with an NPC linking to a CDC video regarding COVID-19 information strategically placed after the Vaccine Maze.

It is essential for students to be able to ideate and innovate in a digitally connected world.

The Impact

The use of Minecraft as a museum location offers several novel and complex layers to the project:

  • Innovative Digital Space:Transforms a virtual environment into an interactive museum.
  • Rhetorical Complexity: Creates a dynamic model where culture, history, and medical innovation intersect within the digital space.
  • Interdisciplinary Interaction: Showcases medicine's deep connections to societal and historical contexts.
  • Digital Media Synthesis: Achieves what words alone cannot by integrating various digital forms.

My Key Takeaways:

  1. Learning to Learn: Mastering platforms like Minecraft, Adobe Suite, and other digital tools equips students with versatile skills and adaptability. As technology evolves, digital literacy becomes essential for the next generation to be creators and collaborators, not just consumers.
  2. Transformation of Thought: Mapping medicine's "fames and shames" with their cultural and historical intersections was challenging. However, integrating digital media brought a depth of understanding that writing alone couldn’t achieve. This project reshaped my approach to creativity and problem-solving, fostering a more holistic and interconnected view of education.
View the full monument walk-through here!
Contact Me: miafree@iu.edu