The Moving Bullseye: Preparing Students for a Career in Multimedia. (1997)

When The University of the Arts in Philadelphia first opened its doors in 1816, it faced nearly identical challenges as today: How do you educate students in a field where the technology changes virtually on a daily basis? Back then, the institution was called the Philadelphia Museum and School of Industrial Art. Its mission was to train students to become designers for the exploding industrial revolution. 1876 was a banner year for technology, and Philadelphia was the Silicon Valley of its time. The city played host to the Centennial Exposition, which celebrated the first 100 years of the United States. While there was plenty of art and culture to see, the public was particularly fascinated by the 13-acre Machinery Hall, a sort of COMDEX for inventions. Inside were the latest marvels of the Industrial Age such as the telephone, typewriter, mimeograph and the latest in powerful industrial engines. Only two months earlier, Alexander Graham Bell had uttered his famous exclamation to assistant Thomas Watson. The modern age was beginning. The world would need designers and lots of them. Since then, The University of the Arts has remained innovative, changing and expanding its curriculum as needed to prepare students for careers in design, visual media and performing arts, and emerging creative fields. Today it is the largest comprehensive educational institution of its kind in the nation. The university encompasses three colleges: the Philadelphia College of Art and Design, the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, and the College of Media and Communication. The latter was formed last fall to emphasize the integration of art, technology and communication. So far, the college offers two bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degrees -- Writing for Media and Performance (which started last fall) and Multimedia (which began this semester). A bachelor of science degree in Mass Media Communication will be offered starting in the fall of 1999. The university's BFA in Multimedia is one of the first in the nation. In developing a multimedia curriculum, The University of the Arts chose to use its existing programs (such as animation, photography, design, writing, music and performing arts) as the spokes of a multimedia wheel. It holds a significant advantage over other schools with multimedia programs in that The University of the Arts encompasses all of the disciplines used in multimedia. Because the university provides instruction in all disciplines, it is uniquely set up to administer a comprehensive multimedia program. Part of learning multimedia is understanding all of these spokes and their roles in a multimedia protect. What students come to realize is that the variety and scope of multimedia is so vast that no one can expect to achieve expertise in every discipline. Each member of the multimedia team must have respect for, and understanding of, the various disciplines and be able to work collaboratively with experts in those areas. The university sets its multimedia program apart from other schools by its emphasis on collaboration and an intense focus on content development, and its integration with visual elements, sound and music, interactivity and animation. And the university includes performing arts disciplines that few art schools offer: music, dance and theater, and performing arts. A New Media Center Member Central to the university's multimedia program is a brand new multimedia lab providing the technological horsepower for the integration of text, graphics, imagery, animation, music and sound. The multimedia lab is one of two state-of-the-art computer laboratories designed to ensure students have the tools necessary to develop practical skills in a challenging and stimulating learning environment. The labs are the primary classrooms for students in the College of Media and Communications. The University of the Arts is one of only four art schools that are members of the New Media Centers (NMC), a partnership group of the nation's leading academic institutions and technology corporations dedicated to advancing technology in education. …