Project Name:
Unreal Education: Learning 3D Game Design in Elementary and Middle School using the Unreal Engine
Project Summary
Using Unreal Engine and Twinmotion, students in Grades 5 to 8 will learn about the principles of 3D game design.
Summary of Current Project
Since 2015 when the Unreal Engine became free, I have been using it with Grade 5 and 6 students in my classroom to teach some of the principles of 3D game level design. Students learn about level greyboxing, static meshes, scale, and animation. As a culminating project, students design and create a level scene of their choice, which they then showcase by creating a flyby animation using the Level Sequencer. Most of this work is done in-class; however, as of 2017, I have run an after-school "Coding Club" in which several students also participate and deepen their understanding of Unreal Engine and game design.
Description of Proposed Project
With an Epic Mega Grant, I will be able to expand the work I have already been implementing in my Grade 6 class to include all interested Grades 5 to 8 students at my school in both in-school and after-school sessions. The grant will also be used to provide training for other teachers on how to implement Twinmotion and Unreal Engine in their own classrooms; to provide ongoing professional development; and to provide release time for in-class support for participating teachers across different schools within the school board. The goal would be to liaison with computer science teachers at our local high school in order to promote the use of Unreal Engine, as well as facilitate cross-panel cooperation. The hope would be that students can continue their learning in this area once they graduate to high school. Some of the funds from the grant would be used to help create different lesson plans (linked to the Ontario Math curriculum specifically, but with general applicability) and possible instructional videos to support teachers in implementing this in their own classrooms and schools. Lastly, a portion of the grant would be used to fund hardware purchases and upgrades to existing technology in order to accommodate the expansion of the project to after-school sessions. This would include the purchase of some desktops, as well as upgrades to our current desktops (i.e., increased RAM and installation of SSD drives).
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The focus for each grade-level would be as follows:
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Grade 5
Students will be introduced to the concepts of 3D level design using Twinmotion. This will allow them to get excited about becoming creators of 3D games, not just consumers. Students will also be introduced to basic animation sequences.
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Grade 6
Students will build on their experience using Twinmotion to design and create a unique 3D level scene using Unreal Engine 4, which they will showcase by creating "fly by" animations using the Level Sequencer. This will involve: greyboxing levels; working with static meshes; learning about scale; understanding the basics of lighting and lighting effects; and creating an animation cutscene.
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Grade 7
Students will build on their knowledge of 3D level design by incorporating blueprint scripting for basic character animations within their level designs. They will create a navigable 3D level that includes interactive components (e.g., trigger volumes that trigger a moving platform). Students will also begin experimenting with using UE4 to create Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality experiences.
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Grade 8
Students will build on their knowledge of blueprint scripting in order to create a fully functioning, single-level game that includes animation cutscenes, basic enemy character AI, points system, health system, start menu, and a "Victory" end screen.