Cajoling screen media students back on-campus – and keeping them there!

Rachel Bentley, Roger Dawkins

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paper

Abstract

![CDATA[Research shows that in today’s post-COVID era, “student engagement” at university has declined, and with it, attrition has increased. Like many universities, a cohort of students at the researchers’ university are dissatisfied with rapid online learning transitioning and demotivated by lower F2F face teaching for practice-based subjects. This has resulted in declining retention into second year of their degrees. This paper is about how we cajoled screen media students back on campus, boosted their engagement and, in turn, gave them a reason to keep studying. In 2022 we piloted a new subject that had never been offered: Immersive Media Technologies is a level three core subject for creative industries students. Our approach to this subject was driven by the aim to recreate the vibrant on-campus learning atmosphere of pre-COVID times. Initiatives included: on-campus teaching and learning activities (lectures, workshops, tutorials); several live, in person (not Zoom), guest lecturers; two-weeks of off-campus workshops at the University’s “innovation hub”; scheduling on-campus “drop-in” technical workshops; and, for the final assignment, creating a two-day pitch-a-thon, where students presented their creative work to a live panel. The subject was chosen because of current technological developments in the screen media industry (360-video; AR/VR), but also because it’s a hands-on, practical subject that lends itself to on-campus participation and the participation of industry-facing guest lecturers. By the end of the subject, attrition was low and grades were high. Attendance in lectures and tutorials also remained high, and teaching staff noted a vibrant, enthusiastic, and supportive atmosphere at the final pitch-a-thon. Student feedback in a series of student-produced video interviews is also very positive, confirming this subject as a success. This paper, and the researchers’ account, will outline an innovative subject, provide suggestions for how we can get students back in the classroom —stoking their enthusiasm for screen production education, and showcase our innovative use of student-produced video interviews as a valuable, authentic means of gathering student feedback.]]
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2023 Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association (ASPERA 2023) Conference, June 28-29, 2023, Adelaide, South Australia
PublisherAustralian Screen Production Education and Research Association
Number of pages2
Publication statusPublished - 2023
EventAustralian Screen Production Education and Research Association. Conference -
Duration: 1 Jan 2023 → …

Conference

ConferenceAustralian Screen Production Education and Research Association. Conference
Period1/01/23 → …

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