Kaitlin Barbier<\/p>\n
In Motion Staff Writer<\/p>\n
The Interactive Media Program at Daytona State hasn’t been around long, but it\u2019s still improving the educational experience for students. After being launched several years ago, faculty spent the past year revising and defining the program.
\n They\u2019ve added classes for mobile media on the go and have gotten rid of some classes to give the program more focus on skills such as storytelling, video editing,\u00a0photography, broadcasting,\u00a0audio, graphic and web design. That is a lot of information to cover in a two-year degree, but the idea is to be more\u00a0flexible after graduation.
\n \u201cThe field is really starting to change, people want a jack of all trades,\u201d says Senior Professor Daniel Biferie, chair of the School of Photography, which oversees the program.
\n Professor Steven Benson, who coordinates the program, says \u201cOne of the things that\u2019s really interesting about the Interactive Media Program is that things change so quickly in the professional world. So, it\u2019s constantly paying attention to what\u2019s going on in the industry and adjusting. We are trying to imagine what a student, who is coming in the fall, is going to need two years after that.\u201d
\n The program has a lot of directions that students can go in based on their interest and what the industry will be demanding, whether they are interested in a future career as a MOJO (mobile journalist) or want to try their hand at being a Social Media \u201cinfluencer.\u201d As an Associate of Science degree, the object, however, is to make sure graduates are ready to hit the ground running in this growing employment field.
\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really know what I wanted to do and seeing that it had a little bit of everything I was interested,\u201d exaplains Daniel Bennett, an interactive media student. \u201cI felt like I might be able to find something specific that I wanted to do.\u201d
\n Since the revisions to the program, students will be able to learn on-the-go media practices such as the new classes \u201cMobile Devices and Applications of Social Media\u201d and \u201cSound for Media,\u201d that focus on cutting-edge use of mobile devices and creating crisp sound for video creation. The program now has an Interactive Media Capstone class as well, that will put the students\u2019 new skills to the test.
\n One change students have frequently requested is a bachelor\u2019s program for Interactive Media, which they say would be a huge benefit for those either unwilling or unable to relocate to pursue higher education goals. Statistics show that the unemployment rate for 2017 was 4.8 percent for those who have less than a bachelor\u2019s degree. For those who do earn a BA, it was 2.5 percent. Although a bachelor\u2019s in Interactive Media could help them attain the ultimate career they are seeking, it is going to take longer than anticipated.
\n \u201cThere are certain kinds of problems in being able to put together a new four-year program because of state regulations. It\u2019s not that we don\u2019t want to, it\u2019s that it\u2019s more difficult than most imagine,\u201d says Benson.
\n Even so, one big step in that direction is the recent hiring of a new faculty member, who takes over the reins of the program in spring 2019. Brad Moody\u00a0is currently an Associate Professor and Digital Media Coordinator at American University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
\n He brings to the college a wealth of experience in all sorts of interactive and experimental media. He also has taught mass communication courses and has been a broadcast producer. He was hired after a global search for just the right person to fill the spot created when longtime professor Gary Monroe retired over the summer. In addition to other honors, Moody was named by the Apple corporation as a Distinguished Educator Middle East and U.S.A.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kaitlin Barbier In Motion Staff Writer The Interactive Media Program at Daytona State hasn’t been around long, but it\u2019s still improving the educational experience for students. After being launched several years ago, faculty spent the past year revising and defining the program. They\u2019ve added classes for mobile media on the Continue reading Interactive Media gets new coat of polish, new faculty member<\/span>