Teaching Unreal Engine in High School: How Compton Built a CTE-Aligned Game Development Pathway

Location: Compton, California | Grades: 9-12 | Type: High School  | Size: 550 

Compton Early College High School is a public high school in Compton, California, serving students in grades 9 through 12.

The school's Game Development program is led by Larry Hood, a Career and Technical Education teacher who teaches Game Design, AP Computer Science, and Esports. Students progress through a multi-course pathway that includes Game Design 1, Game Design 2, and a pathway completer experience that culminates in industry certification.

The program was designed to help students build technical skills, complete authentic projects, and explore careers connected to game development, digital production and interactive media.

Meet the Teacher Behind Compton's Game Development Pathway

Larry Hood has spent years teaching game design and computer science. Before adopting Gameplan, he relied on a combination of Unreal Engine textbooks, Epic Games resources, and community-created content.

While the materials were valuable, they were spread across multiple sources and required significant effort to organize into a consistent learning experience.

"When I started looking at the content, I said, this is a perfect fit. It was identical to what I was teaching. It had great videos and great content."

The curriculum matched his existing goals while providing the structure, pacing, assessments, and certification pathway his students needed.

Impact Spotlight

The Challenge: Game Design Without a Structured Curriculum

Before Gameplan, Larry was teaching Unreal Engine using a collection of resources gathered from different places.

He used Epic Games materials, community-created lessons, and a textbook recommended through an Epic Games accelerator program. While those resources helped him build a program, they created challenges in day-to-day instruction.

"I couldn't really run the class with fidelity. I had to use different resources and not all of them were geared toward beginning students."

The pace of Unreal Engine updates also made it difficult to keep textbooks current. Students often encountered content that no longer matched the latest version of the software.

Larry needed a structured curriculum that could support beginners, provide consistent instruction, and help students progress through the pathway without requiring him to constantly rebuild lessons.

Why Compton Chose Gameplan

Larry Hood first encountered Gameplan through his district's initiative. While exploring the platform, he discovered the Game Design Fundamentals.

"I realized they had game design content, and I'm teaching Unreal Engine. When I started looking at it, I knew it was a perfect fit."

The course aligned closely with what he was already teaching while adding features that simplified instruction.

The built-in LMS, pacing tools, gradebook, and calendar gave him more flexibility to organize content around his schedule. Since students did not meet every day, the ability to quickly adjust lessons and timelines became especially valuable.

"It was easy to modify the calendar based on what I needed from week to week."

Building a Complete Game Development Pathway

Compton uses Gameplan across multiple levels of its game development pathway.

Students begin with foundational concepts before progressing into more advanced Unreal Engine work. Students continue building multiple skills before attempting certification.

Students learn how to:

• Navigate Unreal Engine

• Work in 3D environments

• Design levels and player experiences

• Create materials and textures

• Build environments and worlds

• Use lighting and camera systems

• Understand player movement and collision

• Develop blueprint scripting fundamentals

• Test, revise, and improve projects

Alongside technical skills, students develop professional habits such as teamwork, file management, project presentation, and collaboration.

"The content was exactly what I needed for the course."

One of the strongest parts of the pathway is that students leave with work they can show.

Students begin with foundational design projects that help them connect ideas with execution. In one assignment, students sketch an environment on paper before recreating it in Unreal Engine as a fully realized 3D space.

As they progress, projects become increasingly sophisticated.

Students create:

• Ideal Room designs that transform concepts into detailed 3D environments

• Ideal Park projects that expand those ideas into larger interactive spaces

• World-building environments using terrain sculpting, foliage systems, lighting, and environmental storytelling

• Village and landscape projects that demonstrate advanced world creation workflows

• Playable levels featuring checkpoints, collectibles, player movement, and environmental challenges

• Rube Goldberg machines that combine creativity, engineering concepts, and interactive design

The progression is visible in student work. What begins as a sketch evolves into a playable environment built with professional tools used across game development, architecture, simulation, and digital production.

Results for Students: Unreal Engine Certification and Career-Ready Skills

• Certification Success: Forty-seven students earned the Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals certification, with pathway completers achieving a 92% pass rate.

• Technical Skill Development: Students learned how to navigate Unreal Engine, work in 3D environments, build levels, create materials and textures, use lighting systems, and develop interactive experiences.

• Portfolio-Ready Projects: Students created projects including Ideal Rooms, Ideal Parks, world-building environments, Rube Goldberg machines, and playable game levels that demonstrated both technical and creative growth.

• Differentiated Learning: Self-directed learners could move through videos and lessons at their own pace, while students who needed additional support had access to guided instruction and supplemental resources.

• Student Leadership: Students who progressed more quickly often became classroom leaders, helping classmates solve problems and navigate projects.

• Career-Ready Skills: Through collaborative projects, students developed communication, teamwork, project management, presentation, testing, and iteration skills.

• Career Exploration: Students gained exposure to industries beyond game development, including architecture, filmmaking, simulation, and digital production.

Results for Teachers

For Larry Hood,  Gameplan reduced the amount of time spent searching for content and organizing resources. Instead of piecing together lessons from multiple sources, he had access to a structured curriculum aligned with his pathway goals.

The platform's flexibility also allowed him to adapt pacing and scheduling to meet the needs of his students. Students could move ahead when ready, while he focused more attention on learners who needed additional support.

That shift gave him more time to teach, coach, and support project work.

"It's opening doors to many different pathways, and I'm already seeing more teachers become interested and engaged." 

Why This Story Matters

Many schools want to offer game development and creative technology pathways, but struggle with the same challenges Compton faced.

They have student interest but lack curriculum.

They have software but no pathway.

They have teachers who are willing to learn but need structure and support.

Compton shows what happens when those pieces come together.

Students progressed through a multi-year pathway, built original projects, earned industry credentials, and developed skills that extend beyond game development into broader creative and technical careers. The result was not just a successful course.

It was a sustainable game development pathway with measurable outcomes.

Bring Unreal Engine and Game Development to Your Students

Gameplan helps schools launch and expand career pathways in game development, media production, cybersecurity, and offers career exploration paths for middle schools.

With teacher-ready curriculum, industry certifications, and flexible implementation, schools can create engaging learning experiences that prepare students for future careers.

Schedule a meeting to learn more.

FAQ

What certification did Compton students earn?

Students earned the Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals certification after completing the pathway and passing the certification exam.

What was the certification pass rate?

Pathway completers achieved a 92% certification pass rate, with 47 students earning the credential.

What grade levels participated?

The program serves students in grades 9 through 12.

What projects do students create?

Students create room designs, park designs, world-building environments, Rube Goldberg machines, interactive levels, and portfolio projects using Unreal Engine.

What skills do students learn?

Students learn level design, world building, lighting, materials, player movement, blueprint scripting, testing, iteration, teamwork, file management, and project presentation.

Can students with different experience levels succeed?

Yes. The program supports both self-directed learners and students who need more guided instruction, allowing teachers to differentiate learning while maintaining a consistent curriculum.

What is a Game Development Pathway?

A Game Development Pathway is a sequence of courses that teaches students game design, development, world building, interactive media, and technical production skills while preparing them for future education and careers.