At the cross-over of design arts and computing, the Virtual & Digital Design Path provides opportunities for students to use modern technology to bring their creative ideas to life. Students examine how virtual, digital, & manufactured products are made, and how they interact with our environment and impact our daily lives. Sustainability, environmental interaction, social consciousness and materials processes are emphasized.
Coursework in this pathway allows students to explore and develop solutions in five (5) main creative computing disciplines: augmented/virtual reality, 3-D modeling, Design Thinking, Digital Storytelling and video game design. Introductory coursework exposes students to state of the art technologies in these fields, while advanced coursework prepares students for industry certification and careers as designers and solution developers.
Opportunities are available during classes and after school for students to work with leading industry partners and commercial mentors.
There are no prerequisites for these courses.
Course Offerings
- Open to all 9-12th graders
- No prerequisites
(Formerly Intro. to Augmented & Virtual Reality Technologies)
Ignite your imagination and create the future!
This course introduces students to principles, techniques, and the skills required to develop a variety of advanced technology solutions. Students will be introduced to such technologies as VR and XR using a variety of different equipment including Meta Quest, HTC Vive, Pico Neos, and other immersive devices. This class focuses on using new and emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges and a variety of different applications and use cases. Developing exciting new applications through techniques such as Digital Storytelling and Design Thinking provides each student with cutting edge knowledge and hands-on experiences in high demand across a variety of different industries and career paths. The average starting salary for a developer in this field is $75,000 a year. Learning in this field allows students to build technical literacy and express creativity in an immersive engaging computer aided design field.
- Open to all 9th-12th graders
- No Prerequisites
(Formerly CTE86110 Design Foundations)
Visualize your thinking!
This course teaches the basics of design including: what design is, sketching, drafting, rendering, presentation, the critique process, concepting an idea and translating it to a design brief. In addition, this course will give students a taste of the various types of industrial design they can continue with – transportation and mobility, product, and Human Machine Interface. Students will be asked to keep a sketchbook which will be part of the course.
- Open to all 9th-12th grades
- No prerequisites
Take traditional drawing, painting, and sculpting skills and launch them into the digital world. Illustrate ideas with the latest digital tools to expand future career possibilities in digital fine art.
Learning Outcomes: Students delve into character design, animation, and basic principles of art such as perspective and shading digitally.Tools Used: Students make choices using digital illustration tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, & Sketches Pro.
- Open to all 9th-12th graders
- No prerequisites
(Formerly AR & VR Development for STEAM)
Dive into your art…literally!
This class is equally applicable to those who are interested in understanding AR & VR technologies as well as those who want to use these as tools for solving real-world challenges. Students are introduced to a variety of applications and experiences employing project-based learning techniques which will be used to develop solutions in such areas as societal, industry, academic and community challenges. Working individually and as teams, participants will employ principles of Design Thinking, Project Management, Engineering and the Arts to create new and innovative solutions covering a variety of real-world topics. Projects may include work with industry partners and commercial mentors.
- Open to all 9th-12th graders (no prerequisites)
Build it, play it, repeat!
Dive into the captivating world of game design in our Intro to Game Design class. Starting in MakeCode students will design and develop their own arcade-style video game. Using Unreal Engine 5, they’ll explore the magic of real-time 3D engines, laying a strong foundation for their journey into the game design universe.
- Prerequisite: CTE83230 Introduction to Game Design
Step up your game: build your own favorite video game!
Take your game design skills to the next level in our Advanced Game Design class. This course delves deep into the intricacies of game development, emphasizing Unreal Engine 5 as the primary tool. Students will work on creating the video game of their dreams and learn the art of marketing their game through partnerships with universities, making this class the ultimate step towards becoming a professional video game designer.
- Open to all 9th – 12th graders
- No prerequisites
(Formerly CTE86112 Intro to 3D Modeling)
Escape the 2nd dimension!
This course provides an introduction to creating, editing, presenting, and printing 3D models. Students develop foundational skills to explore and navigate 3D modeling platforms while creating 3D objects. Basic elements of 3D development will include modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, and rendering.
- Prerequisite: CTE86110 Design Foundations
(Formerly CTE86115 Product Design)
From your brain to their hands!
Design Application builds on the Principles of Design Thinking (Design Foundations) Course in that it provides students the opportunity to continue building their design skills around the field of product design. Students will learn how to research, ideate, sketch, render, 3D model, and present concepts for products that would be used in everyday life. In addition, weekly critiques and showcases will allow students to participate in the critique process and learn from one another, learning how to be part of teams and collaborate on projects. Students will be asked to keep a sketchbook which will be part of the course. As design becomes an ever more important field in that it can add significant value to companies products and operations, this course seeks to enable students to get a head start in the field of design and learn more about it as a career opportunity.
- Prerequisites can include any of the following: CTE86110 or CTE86105, or CTE81100 or instructor approval
Pioneering Tech and Creative Pathways to Future Success The world is changing rapidly due to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and advanced robotics. New career paths are emerging that require skills in these cutting-edge fields. In Applied Innovations, students will get hands-on experience with these technologies through real-world projects that solve problems for local businesses and nonprofits. Through a design thinking framework, students will empathize with end users, define key problems, ideate creative solutions, prototype potential products/services, and test them with real users. Concepts in digital storytelling will help students craft compelling narratives around their innovations. The course culminates in a showcase where students present their work to industry partners. This project-based course provides crucial skills for high-demand careers of the future while igniting student’ passion as creators and innovators. Students will gain practical experience with artificial intelligence, data science, extended reality, rapid prototyping, interaction design, digital media production, and more.
