Creating Worlds Together
A International Branch of Department of Education
Global Design Challenge Program
Wyndham Tech School is very pleased to host the GDC 2024 Global Design Challenge Program.
The Collaborative Game Development Program, a joint initiative by the International Branch of the Department of Education and Wyndham Tech School, leverages the powerful capabilities of Unreal Engine to offer students an immersive and practical experience in game development. This course is designed to go beyond traditional learning boundaries, fostering not just technical skills in a leading industry-standard tool, but also promoting critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork as students explore solutions for UN Sustainability Goals.
GDC Outcomes
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Improved student knowledge and skills in STEM principles, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Increased motivation and engagement around STEM education, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Improved teacher knowledge and skills in innovative and engaging pedagogical practices.
Increased capacity of schools to deliver innovative and engaging STEM and cross-cultural educational experiences for their students.
Cultural exchange and networking opportunities for international peers and Australian students and teachers.
Creating Worlds Together: Bridging Cultures and Innovating for Sustainability
Creating Worlds Together brings together the creative students of Australia and other countries in the Asia Pacific region to develop an educational video game focused on promoting the UN Sustainability Goals.
This project leverages the unique cultural and technological strengths of both nations, creating an immersive game that educates players about sustainable practices and innovative solutions to global challenges. Through interactive gameplay, players engage with real-world knowledge and sustainability practices, gaining insights into effective strategies for addressing these goals.
Games for Social Good
Creating Worlds Together directly supports emphasizes using games as powerful tools for social change, particularly aligning with the UN's Sustainability Goals by educating players on various sustainability goals. Through interactive gameplay, players learn about sustainable agricultural practices in countries in the Asia Pacific region and innovative tech solutions in Australia, fostering a deeper understanding of global sustainability issues.
Collaboration and cross-cultural Understanding
Creating Worlds Together exemplifies international collaboration, combining the technological expertise and cultural insights of teams from Australia and other countries in the Asia Pacific Region. This partnership not only enriches the game’s content but also demonstrates the power of collaborative innovation in addressing global challenges.
By working together, the project teams have created a game that reflects the diverse perspectives and experiences of both countries, promoting mutual understanding and cooperation.
Educational Impact
Creating Worlds Together serves as an educational tool, integrating real-world knowledge and sustainability practices into its gameplay. By exploring virtual environments based on real locations in the Asia Pacific region and Australia, players gain valuable insights into effective strategies for meeting UN sustainability goals. The game's educational content is designed to be engaging and informative, making it a valuable resource for teachers and students alike.
Cutting Edge Technology
Creating Worlds Together utilizes Unreal Engine, CAD, AI generation and media to create high-quality graphics, assets and immersive gameplay. This technology enhances the user experience, making the educational content more engaging and accessible to a wide audience. The game’s sophisticated design and interactive elements ensure that players remain interested and motivated to learn about sustainability and global challenges.
Audience
Creating Worlds Together is designed to appeal to a broad range of students. From young gamers in the Wyndham and Hobsons Bay area interested in environmental issues to educators seeking interactive teaching tools, the project learning and interactive elements are crafted to be inclusive and engaging. This wide appeal ensures that the project has reached a diverse school base, furthering Wyndham Tech School's drive real-world change through gaming.
Creating Worlds Together is reaching further, with a comprehensive outreach program by the International Branch of the Department of Education, targeting schools in the Asia Pacific Area. The project plans to integrate the game into curricula for Victorian schools, providing a powerful tool for teaching sustainability and fostering global citizenship.
By highlighting the importance of international collaboration and innovative solutions, this project aspires to inspire the next generation of leaders and change-makers. The project’s focus on global outreach and educational integration underscores its potential to make a significant impact on UN sustainability goals.
In conclusion, Creating Worlds Together embodies the spirit of the Wyndham Tech School by using game development as a platform for education, innovation, and social impact.
The Journey
Teacher Workshops
During our three-day visit to Hanoi, we conducted workshops with Vietnamese teachers to prepare for the Creating Worlds Together classes in Term 3. These sessions were focused on equipping the teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to guide their students through the game development process. We covered key aspects of using Unreal Engine, fostering cross-cultural collaboration, and integrating the UN Sustainability Goals into the classroom experience.
The workshops were an interactive and engaging exchange, allowing teachers to practice hands-on techniques and discuss strategies for facilitating student learning. This preparation was crucial in ensuring the teachers felt confident and ready to lead their students in the upcoming term, setting a strong foundation for the project’s success.
Demonstrating a Lesson in Vietnam
Before Session 1
The Creating Worlds Together project combined both online and offline sessions to maximize student engagement and collaboration.
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Online sessions: These were live, interactive meetings held via Zoom, where students from Australia and Vietnam worked together in real-time. During these sessions, students collaborated on game development tasks, shared their progress, and received guidance from instructors. The online component was crucial for fostering cross-cultural communication and real-time teamwork, with students using tools like Unreal Engine to develop their projects together.
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Offline sessions: Between the live meetings, students had time to work independently or in small groups. These offline activities allowed students to continue their development work, refine concepts, and explore project details at their own pace. This flexible approach ensured that students could contribute meaningfully to the project even outside of scheduled online sessions, fostering deeper exploration and progress.
By blending both online collaboration and offline independent work, the structure of the project allowed students to engage consistently, while also giving them the freedom to develop their ideas and skills in a way that suited their own schedules.
Session 1
Lesson Plan
In the first session of Creating Worlds Together, students from Australia and Vietnam came together for the very first time in a virtual setting. The focus of this session was to break the ice, get to know one another, and form collaborative teams that would work together throughout the project.
The session began with fun icebreaker activities, allowing students to introduce themselves and share their interests in game development and sustainability. From there, students were divided into diverse teams, each blending different skills and perspectives from both countries. These teams would form the core of their collaborative journey. By the end of the session, the students were not only familiar with their teammates but also eager to start working together on their game concepts. This session set the tone for open communication and cross-cultural collaboration, which would be key to the project's success.
Before Session 2
Following the initial session where teams were formed, the next phase of the Creating Worlds Together project focused on offline work. During this time, each team was tasked with creating their own unique portfolio. This portfolio would act as a repository for their ideas, progress, and creative work throughout the project, serving as a digital showcase for their game development journey.
An essential part of this offline task was for teams to establish their own identity by coming up with a company name and designing a logo. This step encouraged students to collaborate creatively, thinking about how they wanted to represent their team and their game development work. The logo design allowed students to bring their artistic skills into play, while choosing a name inspired discussions about their team’s vision and goals.
This offline work was an important part of the project, as it gave students the freedom to explore ideas and collaborate asynchronously, while setting a professional tone for the rest of the course. Teams used their portfolios not only to document their progress but to define who they were as a team—a vital element that added depth to their collaboration.
After the Zoom
As part of the Creating Worlds Together project, we introduced a dedicated email newsletter called After the Zoom. These newsletters were designed specifically for the students, providing them with clear guidance on what to focus on between the online sessions. Each issue included calls to action, outlining the key tasks and activities that needed to be completed before the next session.
The After the Zoom newsletters helped to keep students engaged and on track, giving them step-by-step instructions for their offline work. Whether it was progressing on their portfolios, finalizing their team logos, or preparing game concepts, these newsletters provided valuable reminders and motivation. Additionally, the newsletters served as a great resource for students to revisit instructions and find tips for success, fostering independent work while reinforcing the importance of deadlines and teamwork.
By keeping communication flowing outside of the live Zoom sessions, the After the Zoom newsletters ensured that students remained actively involved in the project, preparing them for the next steps and helping them stay organized throughout their game development journey.
Session 2
In Session 2 of Creating Worlds Together, the focus was on further building each team’s identity and aligning their game concept with one of the UN Sustainability Goals. During this session, teams were tasked with creating their own business cards, adding another layer of professionalism to their game development company. Each card featured their team name, logo, and individual roles, reinforcing their collaborative identity and helping them visualize their contributions to the project.
Additionally, the teams were introduced to the 6 of the 17 UN Sustainability Goals and asked to choose one that would serve as the foundation for their game. This was a crucial step, as it connected the creative aspect of game design with real-world issues. Teams spent time discussing how their chosen goal—whether it was clean water, climate action, or responsible consumption—could be incorporated into the storyline, characters, and challenges within the game.
By the end of the session, each team had a business card that represented their unique identity, and a clear direction for how their game would address a global sustainability issue. This session combined creativity with purpose, pushing the students to think about how their game could inspire awareness and action through engaging gameplay.
Before Session 3
After the Zoom
In this offline session, students dove deeper into the UN Sustainability Goal their team had chosen. Each team was tasked with conducting thorough research on the goal, gaining a clearer understanding of the global challenges associated with it. This research phase was crucial, as it helped the teams link real-world issues to the narrative and objectives of their game.
Building on this knowledge, students were asked to write a call to action that would be delivered by the main character in their game. In this call to action, the main character would urge players to embark on a journey to Vietnam and Australia, where they would acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to address the problems related to the selected UN goal. The teams creatively worked on crafting engaging and informative dialogue, ensuring the player’s mission was both immersive and educational.
By framing the gameplay around this call to action, students integrated both countries into the storyline, emphasizing the importance of cross-cultural solutions to global challenges. This offline work not only strengthened the narrative foundation of their game but also tied the project to real-world sustainability efforts, making the experience both educational and impactful for the player.
Session 3 and 4
In Session 3, students took a major step forward in the game development process by using Unreal Engine to begin creating the landscapes for their game. The unique twist in this session was that each team chose a real location from either Australia or Vietnam as the basis for their game’s environment. This allowed students to combine technical skills with creativity while drawing inspiration from real-world geography.
Students explored various tools within Unreal Engine, learning how to build realistic terrains, shape mountains, rivers, and forests, and add environmental features that captured the essence of their chosen location. Whether recreating the vast, rugged outback of Australia or the lush, intricate landscapes of Vietnam, students worked diligently to ensure their game world felt authentic and immersive.
By connecting their game landscapes to real places, the teams deepened the educational value of their project, offering players a visually rich and geographically accurate setting that linked directly to the UN Sustainability Goals. This session not only advanced their technical skills but also reinforced the importance of tying gameplay to the cultural and environmental elements of both countries.
Before Session 5
In this phase of the Creating Worlds Together project, students are expanding their technical skills by creating 3D objects for their games using two user-friendly tools: SculptGL and Tinkercad.
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SculptGL is a powerful, web-based 3D sculpting tool that allows students to craft intricate models by manipulating shapes like clay. With SculptGL, students can create highly detailed objects, such as characters, natural elements (like trees or rocks), and other in-game assets that require more organic, freeform shapes. This tool is ideal for students looking to experiment with complex shapes and designs.
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Tinkercad is another versatile, browser-based tool, but with a focus on building 3D models from geometric shapes. Tinkercad allows students to design more structured objects, such as buildings, vehicles, or tools, by assembling simple shapes into complex models. This is perfect for creating functional, architectural elements within the game.
Students are encouraged to think about how these objects will fit into the landscapes they’ve created in Unreal Engine. Each object they design should complement the setting, contribute to the narrative, and enhance the player’s experience. By blending the organic modeling capabilities of SculptGL with the structural design power of Tinkercad, students are adding a deeper level of interactivity and realism to their game worlds.
In this phase, students are honing their skills in 3D design while adding rich, creative elements to their projects, making their games more dynamic and visually engaging.
In this edition of the After the Zoom newsletter, we’re reminding all teams to take this time to catch up on any work not yet completed. Whether it's finalizing your business cards, refining the call to action for your game, or continuing work on your Unreal Engine landscape, now is the time to ensure everything is on track.
This is your chance to revisit any unfinished tasks and ensure your portfolios are updated with all your hard work so far. Remember, each step builds on the next, so it’s important to have a solid foundation as we move forward in the project. If you’re behind on any aspect, make sure to use this offline time to get everything up to speed.
As always, feel free to reach out to your teammates or instructors if you need any help or guidance. We’re excited to see your progress next session!
Session 5
In Session 5, while our original plan was to focus on working with widgets in Unreal Engine, we decided to shift the session’s focus based on student feedback and project needs. Instead of diving into UI elements, the teams concentrated on creating 3D objects for their games, continuing the momentum from the previous session.
Using tools like SculptGL and Tinkercad, students crafted intricate and unique models that would enhance their game environments. This change of plan allowed the students to spend more time perfecting the in-game objects that are central to their game design—whether it was buildings, characters, or environmental features. The session was filled with creativity as students sculpted and assembled 3D assets that brought more depth and realism to their landscapes.
The flexibility of switching gears allowed the students to fully engage in the creative process and refine the objects they envisioned. This additional focus on 3D modeling helped teams add important visual elements that would further immerse players in their game worlds, ensuring that their game environments were vibrant, detailed, and compelling.
By the end of the session, students were able to showcase their completed 3D objects, adding them to their Unreal Engine landscapes and further solidifying the foundation of their games.
Before Session 6
After the Zoom
Session 6
What did you learn about the other country through this project??
"Not only did we had the chance to experienced cultural from the Australlia
but also through this project we get to learnt about global issues"
"I have learnt more about the people there through several times talking to the Australian friends (they are very friendly and adorable^^) and I know that they do eat kangaroo (though it doesn't really tasty )."
"From my perspective as a Vietnamese student, working on this project with Australian students has helped me understand their cultural viewpoints, problem-solving styles, and educational approaches, enriching my own perspective and improving our collaborative efforts to address global challenges."
"In this project we have learnt that Vietnam students do understand quite a bit of English. Even talking to us in the Zoom call chat."
"I learnt more about their culture on the life games and what they do. We also learned that they collaborate very well with each other."
"They are very interested in games and technology, and they are very good collaborators and share ideas as a company."
What strategies were employed to ensure effective communication and teamwork between the Vietnamese and Australian development teams?
"The strategies that we used is through Instagram but we did also have
to be automatic thus we can keep up with the projects through
creative ideas"
"We have each other informations in some social media so we also connect to the other forgeiners and we try to communicate as much as possible in the lesson every week."
"Ensuring effective communication and teamwork between Vietnamese and Australian development teams involves addressing the challenges of time zone differences, cultural diversity, and geographical separation."
"Speaking in our portfolio learning about theme and what kind of game they wanted to make."
"We talked through our micro phone or the chat to discuss what ideas we had for our game. We also worked on helping each other out when we were unsure what to do. If we didn't decide on one thing, we would listen to what they thought and had a vote."
"Agreements across chatting and sharing personal experiences created good teamwork."
How did the collaboration between Vietnam and Australia contribute to the development of "Creating Worlds Together"? Provide specific examples of how each country's cultural and environmental knowledge influenced the game.
"We get to know problems from each other countries, and together discuss for further actions that can be made and given the other message through the game to raise the awareness.
For instance, in VietNam there are times when poor people lack of food thus we wanted to give out the solution to this problem based on the idea we made in the game."
"CLIMATE in Vietnam and Australia is different. thereby creating diversity in game maps, as well as helping creativity in game maps."
"I think the collaboration between Vietnam and Australia on "Creating Worlds Together" combined about unique cultural and environmental perspectives to create a rich, immersive game:
Vietnamese landscapes, like the Mekong Delta and Ha Long Bay, shaped the game’s diverse environments. Australian settings, such as deserts and rainforests, and wildlife were integrated into the game, adding variety and realism."
"Learning about what each country thought of culture and environment, showed what each country would learn. Which made our game have both knowledges in our game."
CREATING WORLDS TOGETHER PROGRAM
WITH WYNDHAM TECH SCHOOL
A GLOBAL DESIGN CHALLENGE INITIATIVE
BY THE INTERNATIONAL BRANCH
OF THE
VICTORIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
***PROJECT TEAM***
Project Lead.....................................................Lynne Telfer
Program Expert................................................Taylor Bushell
School Education Services Manager International Education Div…..Le Huu Tram Anh
Global Learning and Engagement Senior Project Officer................. Sarah Baldacchino
Vietnam Representative...................................................Trang Luong
Cultural Liaison (Australia).............................Shane Edge
Marketing ……………………………………………….....Albani Onbashi
***CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT***
Curriculum Designer........................................Lynne Telfer
Educational Consultant...................................Shane Edge
***TECHNICAL TEAM***
Lead Programmer........................................... Lynne Telfer
Programmer - Unreal.......................................Taylor Bushell
Quality Assurance Lead..................................Albani Onbashi
UI/UX Designer...............................................Lynne Telfer
***EDUCATIONAL FACILITATORS***
Lead Instructor (Australia).............................Shane Edge
Lead Instructor (Asia Pacific).........................Pham Thank Tung
Assistant Instructor (Asia Pacific)..................Vu Dieu Thuy Ngo Du Hang
Vietnam Representative...................................................Trang Luong
Lead Interpreter (Vietnamese in Australia)............ Dylan Nguyen
***STUDENT PARTICIPANTS***
All students participated in the following roles:
Game Designer
Level Designer
Narrative Designer
Systems Designer
Concept Artist 3D
Modeler
UI/UX
Designer Environmental Artist
Game Programmer
Graphics Programmer
Tools Programmer
Technical Artist
QA Tester
Play tester
Bug Reporter
Project Manager
Producer
Localization Manager
Marketing
Manager
Community Manager
PR Specialist
Content Creator
Business Development
Australian Students
Testers:
Abdel
Anabelle
Roderick
Ishaan
Christian
Taireina
Jake
Boston
Fadeel
Destiny
Ikhlas
Sid
Faaz
Hamayel
Yug
Sarraj
Saad
Ali
Javinpreet
Gabriel
Samuel
Michael
Participants:
Aarza
Subu
Asija
Andy
Nabhya
Abdullah
Mehal
Kakshil
Sienna
Michael
Achiek
Ayush
Jabriel
Ayaan
Veronica
Jan
Kushi
Shehzad
Robbie
Mahipratap
Mahdi
Asia Pacific Students....................
Lê Ngọc Linh Hương
Bùi Hà Minh Anh
Trần Hoàng Bảo Hân
Nguyễn Phan Anh
Nguyễn Tuệ Minh
Nguyễn Phan Anh
Nguyễn Đinh Thái Sơn
Lê Khánh Nam
Bùi Vũ Khánh Vy
Phạm Chí Hiếu
Ngô Bảo Châu
Ngô Minh Dũng
Nguyễn Tuấn Đại
Vũ Nam Phương Anh
Lê Huy Gia Bảo
Nguyễn Quang Thành
Ngô Quang Dũng
Đoàn Lâm Phúc
Nguyễn Đức Thiện
Trương Minh Trí
Nguyễn Việt Anh
Nguyễn Phú Minh Hoàng
Nguyễn Hải Phong
Đào Phương Anh
Bùi Nam Long
***LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL SUPPORT***
Lead Interpreter (Vietnamese in Hanoi)............ Le Huu Tram Anh
Lead Interpreter (Vietnamese in Australia)............ Dylan Nguyen
***ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT***
Finance Manager............................Sam Nikolsky
Logistics Coordinator......................Emma Arnold
***MARKETING AND OUTREACH***
Marketing Director.........................Albani Onbashi
Social Media Manager.....................Albani Onbashi
Film Crew…………………………………...John Stone Tamsin Sharp
Outreach Coordinator..................... Le Huu Tram
AnhPublic Relations Specialist............... Le Huu Tram Anh
Vietnam Representative...................................................Trang Luong
***TECHNICAL SUPPORT***
IT Support Specialist - Australia.......Mevan Fernando
IT Support Specialist - Hanoi...........Tony
***EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK***
Evaluation Coordinator....................Lynne Telfer
Feedback Analyst........................... Sarah Baldacchino
Data Analyst.................................. Sarah Baldacchino
Report Writer..................................Lynne Telfer Albani Onbashi
***ADVISORY BOARD***
Chair of Advisory Board..................Sam Nikolsky
Educational Advisor........................Emma Arnold
Industry Expert (Gaming).................Lynne Telfer
Cultural Advisor.............................. Le Huu Tram AnhVietnam Representative...................................................Trang Luong
***Special Thanks to All Participating Students and Educators***