May 25—Ohio Virtual Academy teacher Aaron Lyman describes Programming and Software Development student Ian Munoz of Mentor as an extremely dedicated and bright student, always willing to share his knowledge with his peers when they have questions and constantly researching to expand his own knowledge.

It also just so happens Ian is a fan of participating in escape rooms.

Ian's natural intelligence and creativity, his willingness to work with others and passion for escape rooms has helped spawn a new interactive video game called "Sealed Whispers."

Ian is part of a group working on the game in a course called Game Design in the Programming and Software Development program. Ian is the 3D artist, Jordan Bruce is the programmer and level designer, Duncan Burleson is responsible for story and audio development and Caleb Ferronniere is involved in story development.

"In terms of his contribution to the 'Sealed Whispers' game, Ian has consistently displayed his ability to work effectively with a team and has remained passionate about the project since the beginning," Lyman said. "Ian is extremely dedicated to his work, a gifted problem solver and a wonderful student to work with.

"He explores multiple solutions and is willing to take steps to make any necessary adjustments for the project to be executed as expected," Lyman added. "He regularly performs beyond expectations and is always willing to dedicate maximum effort when completing projects."

The game synopsis for "Sealed Whispers" is as follows: Players take on the role of Frank Foley — an "average Joe" news reporter working a typical 9 to 5 ... until he is mysteriously kidnapped and disappears without a trace.

"Frank wakes to find himself trapped in an unfamiliar basement with no signs of how he got there. He is then greeted over a speaker system by his kidnapper, explaining that he is the most valuable subject to complete his puzzles. On top of an already dreary situation, Frank discovers that he is hearing ghostly voices. Will these voices be able to lead Frank to a daring escape?"

Lyman said the group of students who have worked on this game were a dedicated group usually staying after the live Game Design class sessions to share personal projects they were working on or inquire about specific topics covered in the course curriculum.

As the discussions continued, it was obvious these students meshed well in terms of personality and interests, Lyman said. Following one of the later class sessions, a couple of the students presented the idea of developing a game.

"The interesting part is though the students had discussed some ideas, the escape room concept did not come until later in the planning phase. The students really wanted to create a unique gaming experience," Lyman said. "After some online research and discussions, Ian had shared his interest in completing in-person escape rooms which caught the attention of the group. Soon the group had a title, story concept, a list of potential game mechanics, and concept art leading to developing the project in Unity (a free game engine)."

For Ian, the project isn't about the technical world of writing computer codes or such tasks, it is more about being part of a group where the whole is more impactful than the individuals.

"I have learned from this experience, along with other CTE experiences, that it is important to work as a team, to have regular meetings and good communication with each other," he said. "A large part of any project is coming together and planning everything with one another and updating each other on progress and other situations.

"I think being understanding of one another and learning when to compromise are also important aspects of teamwork that are used just as much as everything else," he continued. "In order to work cohesively and efficiently together, you need to be able to understand each other and your differences.

"We were very lucky to have a group that connected very well with each other and knew each other very well. Sometimes, compromises need to be made where there are disagreements, and it's important to know when those cases come and in what way you need to compromise for the betterment of the project."

— Student Ian Munoz

"We were very lucky to have a group that connected very well with each other and knew each other very well," he added. "Sometimes, compromises need to be made where there are disagreements, and it's important to know when those cases come and in what way you need to compromise for the betterment of the project."

OHVA is Ohio's online public school serving students grades K-12. Part of its curriculum includes career tech education, such as supporting those students who have an interest in the gaming industry.

Ohio Virtual Academy's Career Tech Education program presents students with the opportunity to explore possible career paths that might interest them during their time in high school following a curriculum that is meant to reflect the experiences they might encounter when working in their selected field.

Students also have the chance to communicate with industry professionals during guest speaker sessions to gain more insight on what a typical "day-in-the-life" might look like when working in their field of interest.

The main goal of the program is to prepare students for future opportunities.

Ian has been enrolled in the CTE program for two years in the Programming and Software Development pathway.

Lyman said the students will not receive grades for this project since it is more of an extracurricular activity. However, the CTE students are required to document a specific number of work-based learning hours during their time in the program. These hours can be logged for working at a job, attending guest speaker sessions and events or even working on personal projects that align with their pathway content — such as the "Sealed Whispers" game.

Lyman thinks the fact students can take steps toward a potential college major or full-time career while still in high school is an important benefit.

"In my opinion, this is one of the more interesting components of our CTE program — especially being in a 100 percent online classroom environment," he said. "Our program gives students the opportunity to explore career fields that may interest them during their time in high school to prepare for what they may pursue at a college level.

"We do our best to tailor our program to every individual student's needs, interests and goals by sharing a wide range of potential opportunities that might be available after a student completes their pathway courses," he added. "Some students are interested in obtaining their degree while others are ready to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

"We've recently been focusing on a large push for internships, apprenticeships and mentorships to give students an opportunity to gain work experience before fully entering the work force."

The students aim to have the game completed by the end of the semester and are hoping to enter it in gaming competitions.