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Learn to code or teach Unity with two live courses coming in July

June 29, 2020 in Games | 6 min. read
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Create with Code Live is back for a summer session, for anyone who wants to learn to code the fun way – by making games. We also have a brand-new course, Unity for Educators: A Beginner’s Guide, designed for teachers who are interested in bringing Unity into the classroom and are new to Unity. Both free four-week courses blend live, interactive sessions with Unity experts and self-paced online learning, starting on July 13.

We launched the first Create with Code Live course in March as a way to support our community of creators during a time of change, as people shifted to remote work and learning. Because of the incredible response and interest we’ve seen in this course, we’re expanding our live learning offerings, starting with two new courses. The first is for anyone interested in learning to code. The second is for educators interested in teaching their students real-time 3D design and development skills to make games, AR/VR applications, and more.

Create with Code Live: Learn to program by making games

We’re excited to launch our second Create with Code Live on July 13. This free four-week course is designed for busy professionals who want to learn programming through a mix of self-paced learning and live instruction. Each week, you’ll work through the course material independently and meet with a live Unity instructor online three times. Each hour-long live session will offer the chance to get feedback and pro tips, ask questions, and work with other engaged learners. This mixed-learning format is ideal for Unity beginners who are juggling responsibilities and need both the flexibility of an on-demand course and the benefits of live instruction.

By the end of Create with Code Live, you’ll have gained foundational skills in Unity and C# programming and be able to create your own real-time 3D interactive games and experiences. The course will also set you up for success by teaching you the skills required to take the Unity Certified User exam.

Unity for Educators: A Beginner’s Guide

As demand for AR/VR and game development expertise continues to grow exponentially, more educators are bringing Unity into the classroom to prepare their students with the skills for these promising careers. But we’ve found that the majority of educators who come to Unity are new to real-time 3D technology and need support to help their students learn.

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Unity for Educators: A Beginner’s Guide is a free, live course created by educators for educators – from secondary schools to higher education and beyond, including nontraditional programs like boot camps or extracurricular classes. Instructors and guest speakers will introduce you to creating and teaching with Unity, and offer guidance in best practices for bringing 3D interactive technology into the classroom and learning alongside your students. 

The course starts on July 13 and runs for four weeks. Each week, you will engage with three hours of self-paced learning online, and there’s an optional one-hour live session where you can connect with fellow learners, hear from experts, and get personalized support from the Unity education team. Live sessions will be held at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, and you can register for the time that works for you (or both). 

Through this course you will:

  • Gain hands-on experience with Unity and understand the platform’s wide-ranging applications and benefits beyond digital skills, such as storytelling and creative problem-solving. 
  • Learn how 3D development and interactive technology are changing the way we work and interact, and learn more about the job market for these skills. 
  • Create your own 3D interactive project with Unity.
  • Develop a teaching plan for integrating Unity into your classroom, program or curriculum.
  • Understand the Unity ecosystem and how to make the most of Unity Learn, online teaching resources, and an active, supportive educator community.
  • Learn strategies and best practices for creating powerful learning experiences across a range of contexts.

While creating this course, we interviewed dozens of inspiring Unity educators from across a range of educational settings worldwide. Many of these teachers lend their voice to the course and share their insights and experiences to highlight best practices, challenges, and strategies to prepare teachers new to Unity for day one with their students. 

Here are three key messages that stood out from our interviews, which we will expand on in the course:

  • You don’t need to be an expert in Unity to teach it

Many educators share the experience of feeling intimidated when asking students to open a new Unity project for the first time. The hardest part for many has been not having all the answers – and feeling uncomfortable letting students know that. Teachers said that they started to feel successful when they began to assume the role of co-learner alongside their students and moved away from a “sage on the stage” mentality. This allowed educators to focus on helping students to develop transferable self-learning strategies, like breaking problems into smaller steps, collaborating with classmates, mastering online searches, and learning forum etiquette. The course explores these strategies in greater depth and outlines approaches to foster an environment of co-learning.

  • A growth mindset is key to teaching and learning Unity

Teaching Unity means jumping into something that the professional world uses – and because it’s a professional tool, there’s a lot to it. For many teachers, the importance of promoting a growth mindset is a top priority for this reason. Unity provides creators with new challenges, interesting problems to solve, and opportunities to fail and grow. 

By creating a space where learners want to push themselves out of their comfort zone and feel safe making mistakes, teachers see student creativity and risk-taking flourish. One effective strategy for this, which we’ll dive into, is to take an effort and mindset-based approach to assessment. Grading students on what they’ve learned, as opposed to the polish of their final product, makes a huge difference. We highlight innovative ways that teachers can promote this key skill and share useful resources, including assessment tools.

  • Knowing where to start can be the hardest part

The number of resources available and the many different Unity applications and pathways can be daunting for educators as they sit down to plan. The course guides teachers through the planning process and supports them to find relevant resources. 

Some teachers, for instance, like to take an a la carte approach when selecting projects and tutorials, depending on their learning outcomes. We support this approach by guiding learners around the Unity Learn ecosystem to find what they need. Create with Code, the second course we’re offering this summer, has quickly become an educator favorite and found its way into learning spaces around the globe. The educator-specific tutorials and detailed guides make it a great place to start for new teachers. We also highlight some of the creative ways teachers have developed their curricula to maximize cross-curricular opportunities, design projects for social impact, and enable collaboration in teams. 

This course is a pathway to the Unity educator community – a passionate group of educators who actively share ideas, resources, and offer support to one another. This support has been especially critical in the last few months as teachers have had to shift to virtual learning. The group offers educators opportunities through live webinars, shared resources, peer support, and other free offerings to help you in your journey teaching Unity and preparing your students for 21st-century jobs.

Ready to start learning? Sign up now for Create with Code Live or Unity for Educators: A Beginner’s Guide, and we’ll see you in class on July 13!

June 29, 2020 in Games | 6 min. read

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