Research collaboration earns top 10 honour at international innovation competition.
A collaborative educational innovation project involving researchers from Canada and across Asia has been recognized among the world's leading inventions at the 2026 International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN).
Led by an international team that includes Associate Professor Dr. Peng Liu of the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Education, the project uses a self-paced digital learning platform to help young people develop behavioural competencies through interactive, game-based experiences rooted in Indonesian cultural values and wisdom.
Designed under the behavioural competence strand of the P.A.T.H.S (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) to Adulthood curriculum, the platform immerses students in real-life scenarios where they make decisions, earn badges, and see the impact of their choices on relationships and community wellbeing. The approach incorporates key Indonesian values, including Pancasila, Piil Pesenggiri, and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), helping students connect personal growth with cultural identity.
“The innovation responds to the challenge of supporting youth development across Indonesia's diverse geographic and cultural contexts, “ says Dr. Liu. “By combining local wisdom with digital technology and gamification, the platform creates opportunities for students to experience and internalize values such as respect, honesty, accountability, fairness, and cooperation.”
Rather than relying on traditional classroom instruction, the project uses a self-paced digital learning platform where students engage with real-life scenarios and make choices that influence outcomes. Through interactive gameplay, students explore values such as honesty, fairness, respect, accountability, and cooperation.
“Students earn badges for demonstrating positive behaviours and receive feedback that encourages reflection and growth,” explains Dr. Liu. In addition, a "friendship meter" shows how different responses affect relationships, helping students understand the real-world impact of their decisions. “The goal is to move beyond simply teaching values and instead provide opportunities for students to experience and internalize them.”
By earning one of iCAN's highest honours, the project showcases the Faculty's growing impact on global education research and highlights how international partnerships can generate creative, culturally responsive approaches to teaching and learning. Says Dr. Liu, “This innovation also demonstrates the project team’s creative approach to putting research into practice and reflects the Faculty of Education’s ongoing commitment to facilitating knowledge mobilization ."
For nearly 150 years, UM has transformed lives through groundbreaking research and homegrown innovation. We push the boundaries of knowledge and do the hard work here in Manitoba to move our community and the world forward. With a spirit of determination and discovery, we are shaping a better future for our province and beyond.
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