DCSZ Students' Digital Triumph at HakD
By Stewart Aitkenhead, Assistant Head of Senior School - Student Progress
Last weekend (From 16 to 17 March), 15 DCSZ students joined the HakD at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong.
The HakD is a Hackathon where students are given a choice of real-world scenarios and problems and work together in teams to create innovative solutions.
There are workshops where students can upskill in a diverse range of tech and design skills, including Python programming, 3D modelling, physical computing and design process, and a team of mentors work with each group to coach them towards their final product.
Students present their work in a science-fair style session, where judges come around and listen to their group presentations and grade each team on their product, presentation and participation.
Our DCSZ students produced work of an incredibly high standard, and we were very proud to see what they were able to accomplish in just 2 days.
Two DCSZ teams won awards at this event, including 1st place and 3rd place overall.
Renee C, Year 9 and Dea Y, Year 9 worked on a team to produce a virtual reality go-cart gaming experience for a child who couldn’t use their arms to steer. They used blender to design a track, which they imported into the Unity gaming system, and combined with a 3D modelled go-cart. Their control system included facial tracking and voice recognition, which they implemented using Scratch, to turn the vehicle left, right, and have it accelerate and brake.
April G, Year 9, Hayoon K, Year 9 and Kate K Year 9 worked with one other student from Shanghai SSIS to produce a watch-based personal assistant for students, that would detect when they were under increased stress, and offer reassuring words and calming visuals. They used Tinkercad to produce a model, that they then 3D printed, and they produced an impressive and visually appealing display board.
Our students are truly remarkable! They have demonstrated exceptional learning and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the HakD event. We extend our gratitude to Mr Stewart Aitkenhead, our Assistant Head of Senior School - Student Progress, and Ms Wendy Yang, Senior School Computer Science Teacher, for their leadership in guiding our students' participation in HakD.
