Despite the lockdown, the RV TEAM challenge for MTI3D master's students at the Institut de Laval went ahead as planned. Five video games were created by the students, and one of them will be presented on April 22 at Laval Virtual, the international virtual reality trade show!
A confined challenge strengthens collective intelligence
As for many students, the end of the course period before the MTID3D master's internship at the Institut Arts et Métiers Laval felt unfinished! During an emergency meeting on Friday, March 13, students were asked to save the files on their workstations, tidy up their classrooms, and think about how to organize themselves while in lockdown. Reassuringly, the teachers asked them to remain "united and connected." Without knowing it, the following two weeks would prove more than ever their ability to carry out projects remotely and their collective intelligence.
Usually, the end of the master's program is punctuated by a motivating but challenging final stretch for students: the RV TEAM, a 15-day continuous challenge whose goal is to create a unique Virtual or Augmented Reality application that could win the Laval Virtual global student competition and be presented at the eponymous trade show. Usually, students, in groups of 7-8, are confined to the same room for two weeks. This close quarters can be difficult at times, but it naturally structures the work in direct interaction. In particular, it ensures that no opportunity to communicate or react to the evolution of the project is missed.
Technical obstacles mitigated by strong common references
Due to lockdown restrictions, for the good of all, they had to adapt... Two main obstacles stood in their way: the inability to access virtual reality headsets, which were also confined to the Laval Virtual Center, and the use of their personal equipment to develop the project and share it online.
In addition to the difficulty of understanding another person's "code" and individual ways of thinking, there were also problems with the internet connection. As time went by, some of them were on the verge of becoming discouraged. They admit that they struggled with their organization. After a few days of remote working, they quickly realized that they needed to impose a strict work ethic on themselves! The solution was as follows: a daily meeting with the team's teacher-coach, plus plenary meetings for all teams twice a week. And the good news is that, as a result, the competitive spirit was back in full force!
Learning how to use online project management tools was not difficult; it's almost second nature to them.
"Learning how to use online project management tools wasn't difficult; it's almost second nature to them," admit some coaches. They have tried almost all of them: from cloud services for storing and managing code to open-source project tracking software and chat rooms. However, Alexis, a master's student, said that having common references (learned in class, for example) really helped them create their application 100% remotely.
The opportunity to participate in the first 100% virtual Laval Virtual exhibition
The cancellation of the Laval Virtual physical trade show, announced on March 9, did not discourage students from presenting their projects to experts in the field and trade show organizers on April 3. The jury, larger than usual, took their seats in the virtual Teams lounge. The advantage of Teams was that it allowed participants to test the apps individually in real time or to watch one of the Master's teachers discover the application and unlock its secrets live. During these 15 days of work, five video games were created, all with different themes and executable on PC, MAC, or even Android for an Augmented Reality game.
All of these applications will be presented at the 2021 edition of the Laval Virtual World, and you can get a sneak preview of the jury's favorite game, Little Grim and the Blue Fox, on April 22 at 7 p.m. by registering for free online at: https://www.laval-virtual.com/fr/ticketing/
Although somewhat disrupted and restricted, the 2020 edition of the RV TEAM challenge was marked by a complete shift to virtuality and proved that collaborative and creative work is not incompatible with individual confinement!
