Cross country for cross-media (8)

At CMID07 two instructors of the Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden (NHL) in The Netherlands, Eric Voigt (left) and Mikel Hanekamp (right), were present and offered a presentation on the minor cross-media at their college.

The Communication & Multimedia Design (CMD) Degree program is a 4-year professional education program leading to a Bachelor’s diploma (Bachelor of Multimedia). It is characterized by competence-based learning and flexible learning routes. There are 2 phases:
- The propaedeutic phase (1 year, 60 European Credits)
- The post-propaedeutic phase (3 years, 180 European Credits)

The first year consists of three mandatory projects each incorporating a number of competencies totalling 18 EC each. The remaining 6 EC will be awarded in individual assessments. In the post-propaedeutic phase (years 2, 3, and 4) students may collaborate in 4 ready-made projects, as a way to master the required competencies; alternatively they may plan their own learning route, as long as it leads to the same above-mentioned result. There are no formal majors (as yet), but students may opt for a tailor-made profile (totalling 60 EC) that fits his/her abilities and interests by:
- Working in route-independent training projects; these projects are either commissioned by external clients or set up by the students themselves
- Following an individual learning route through e.g. ‘shopping’ at other disciplines
- Doing an industrial placement (mandatory)
The 5-month industrial placement (max. 35 EC) in year 3 is intended to give students a better understanding of Multimedia professional practice, to promote their awareness of the organizational context, and to enhance their ability to relate theory to practice. The final project (30 EC) during the second semester of year 4, serves as proof of competence.

The course prepares students for jobs as:
- interface designer of multimedia products
- multimedia developer
- multimedia consultant
- content manager (administrator of multimedia applications)

At CMD the educational approach is through projects and based on the gaining of competencies, rather than swotting for exams. Students will not have to sit tests: instead they will be assessed, either individually or in a small group After the first year, projects mostly fall within the sphere of one of eight minors: Education and Multimedia, 3D-visualization, Games Design, Entrepreneurship, Rich Internet Applications, Concepting, Cross-Media, and a Free minor.

The minor Cross-media offers students multidirectional routes on different levels. Whether they are interested in camera work, editing, audio, programming, streaming media, database programming, or prefer marketing, public relations and management; they can either join the platform as a rooky and gain experience that way, or they can enrol in a Learning Centre Course and enter on a more experienced level expanding and deepening their expertise. The objective of the minor is to work as a team for 6 months on the Cross-media platform. The students will produce television broadcasts/ internet television to be aired on television, Internet and UMTS (mobile phone). Occasionally they will be producing programs for third parties. They will pass through all the stages necessary for bringing about a television broadcast, managing the website, and maintaining the broadcast corporation. The students will have to show their competencies in analysis, end products, working in projects and domains. They can specialise in audio production, moving image production, image production, programming, project management, marketing and communication and graphic design. The students will get guest-lectures, workshops, consults, practical assignments and participate in collaborations with third parties.

The students of this minor, roughly 50 students every half year, run cross-media content on http://www.mjuks.nl/ of www.mjuks.nl/umts. Amongst others a take-off is presented on Nordic walking. They students changed the title in Nordic stalking and filmed comic scenes on the street (enlarge the photograph by clicking on it).

Blog Posting Number: 713

Tags: education, cross-media