2006 Request for Proposal WORKSHEET – Higher Education
HP Digital Publishing for Teaching and Learning
Required Elements of Your Proposal
Institutional
Environment 1. Technology vision (150 words max.): Describe your
campus/school/departmental vision on the role of advanced digital publishing
technology in learning environments.
RMIT has a commitment to building a ‘global passport’ for students. A strategic
priority is to establish RMIT’s Melbourne and Vietnam campuses as twin hubs
for the RMIT global network, linked and supported by high quality information
and communication technology.
Creating a global university requires the delivery of education services, and
internationalization of our curriculum and pedagogy. This includes international
experience as part of study programs.
The School of Creative Media is on the cutting edge of teaching and learning
across media cultures – on screen, online, on air and in print. Students
produce artifacts using cross-disciplinary approaches, in a world of digital
media convergence and evolving forms of narrative.
It is the School’s vision that every student and faculty member has multiple
opportunities to engage with advanced digital technologies, using these to
stretch the boundaries and create new knowledge – to be known as global
leaders in the field.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
2. Synergy (150 words max.): How will the project you’re proposing for
this grant help you make a substantial contribution toward achieving the
educational technology vision you described?
RMIT is committed to the generation and application of new ideas, in addition
to enabling learning and skills development through adaptation of technology.
Within a creative knowledge network framework, the project will utilize
advanced digital publishing, collaboration client software, and mobile devices
– for collaborative image creation and new media production.
Our focus will be on multi-disciplinary teams within and between the Vietnam
and Melbourne campuses. Students will explore the potential of collaboration,
for co-creation of knowledge enabled by social software applications.
Students will experience new ways of working towards their ‘global passport’.
Mobile devices will be used in tandem with the Distributed Learning System
(Blackboard). This blended approach will extend ways in which students can
collaborate outside formal learning spaces.
The HP equipment will enable students to produce industry standard
publications and to archive digital work in hard copy form, within a crosscultural and flexible publishing environment – a strategic advantage.
Institutional and
Instructional
Leadership
3. Institutional leadership (150 words): Describe how you have
demonstrated institutional leadership, as evidenced by 1) the adoption of your
teaching methodologies, pedagogy, or curricula at your institution, 2) innovation
in digital publishing practices, or 3) other tangible evidence
My PhD established the strategic knowledge network model for global education.
I have designed and developed curriculum in 24 courses. Internationalization
was achieved through student collaborations I led for 3 digital publishing projects
with colleges in Canada, Japan, Zimbabwe; and 10 projects with local, regional
and global organizations:
e.g. Shell, The Hague; Ogilvy PR Worldwide, Kuala Lumpur; XBRL, Boston, Los
Angeles, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney; World Bank, Washington; International
Institute for Sustainable Development; Telstra, Melbourne; EPA, Washington.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
Dr Kathleen Gray, Chair,
Teaching & Learning:
Educational
Technology
Subcommittee,
RMIT
“I consider Fiona’s work exemplary in two respects:
It goes beyond content- and transmission-based thinking about how to design
e-learning and uses the technology more effectively, to provide a virtual space
for collaborative learning, mentoring and project based learning.
It goes beyond narrow conceptions of using technology to support distance
learning, and offers an innovative mode of learning within a global knowledge
network.”
4. Instructional leadership (150 words): Describe how you have
demonstrated instructional leadership, as evidenced by, 1) course changes
have you made, in response to student needs, that have improved student
outcomes in your courses, 2) use of novel digital publishing concepts as part of
your instructional practices, or 3) other tangible evidence
Key achievements include facilitating projects for RMIT writing students with
Canadian public relations students; and with visual communication students,
Japan and graphic design students, Zimbabwe.
I teach global communication and mentor faculty to create an innovative
learning environment, including virtual team projects and conferences.
Rex Brown, Global Customer Satisfaction Measurement Manager, IT Shell:
“As a project mentor I have found the students bring mature insights into their
projects as they blend innovation in virtual working with practical work
problems. The course is a great incubator to allow good thinkers to stretch
themselves in new ways as they apply an amazing range of technologies.”
Deb Parker, student:
“The network of industry contacts throughout the world that Fiona has fostered
allowed me to undertake ‘real’ projects with ‘real’ clients. This experience has
provided me with knowledge and competence and is proving invaluable in my
endeavour to start a small business.”
Project Details
5. Project Name: A brief title for your project
Digital Publishing and Virtual Mobility in a Creative Knowledge Network
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
6. Project executive summary (300 words max.): Provide an overview
of your project in an executive summary.
The project centres on “Innovations in learning – developing and piloting
novel experiences for students that allow them to directly use digital
publishing capabilities to acquire and analyse information, create image-based
works, collaborate with other learners, and communicate their creative ideas
and new understanding.”
The aim of this project is to explore social collaboration, learning and digital
publishing technologies, applied within distributed communities of students
and faculty.
Focus will be on face-to-face and online collaboration possibilities in this
creative learning and production environment, in multimedia and photography
undergraduate programs.
We want to foster international collaboration to develop capabilities such as
cross-cultural problem solving in transient, multidisciplinary, virtual teams –
highly relevant to new ways of working in the creative industries.
Key issues explored for digital publishing: presentation of ideas in different
forms for cultural differences; colour management; and archiving digital work
in hard copy form.
Student teams at RMIT campuses in Vietnam and Australia will collaborate,
for content design and publication of posters, e-books and e-brochures.
Cascading style sheets will be used to create documents whose look and feel
can be manipulated to suit different audiences and outputs (see illustration
Zen Garden http://www.csszengarden.com).
This is highly relevant to communication media industries in the region,
especially a developing economy such as Vietnam.
The activity
internationalizes the curriculum, providing students with multi-disciplinary
experience across national borders and time zones.
Colour management is central to production. In the internet environment,
colour calibration varies; with hard copy, the creator of the work has more
control. Students need to learn the dynamics of these two digital publishing
outputs.
While colour management techniques may be presented
theoretically, it is through hands-on experience that students learn the
practicalities.
Access to high-quality colour printers will enable students to experiment and
electronically transmit digital work, for reliable hard copy and archiving.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
7. Teaching and learning issues (250 words max.): Describe the
fundamental learning and teaching issues that the project addresses (i.e. Why
is this project important for your students and instructors?)
RMIT’s Strategic Plan focuses on industry relevant learning. Our School’s
Teaching and Learning Strategy, and this project, support extension of the
studio model in a distributed environment, to reflect industry trends in digital
media convergence.
Industry relevant learning includes new ways of working in transient, multidisciplinary teams, which will be a focus of the project.
With a multi-disciplinary multimedia degree delivered at 2 international
campuses, students can experience collaborative projects enabled by ICTs.
This University degree spans computer science, design, engineering and
business schools.
Multi-disciplinary collaboration will be extended and
enriched in the project by including photography students.
Learning activities will include creation of storyboards sent to peers in
Vietnam or Australia; in turn, international peers will interpret the visual
‘stories’ in words. Interpretations will be tested for mutual understanding.
This activity is powerful and has been trialed with students in Japan and
Australia. The experiment indicated that shared vocabularies of visual icons
exist as phenomena, relevant to industries such as advertising.
Photography students will also generate images that Vietnamese students
design into e-brochures and posters, which can be manipulated for colour
management on screen and in print.
Students will be actively engaged in co-production of knowledge relevant to
industry. They will learn how to do storyboards; contribute to workflow;
communicate and collaborate in virtual teams; and produce innovative digital
publishing outcomes.
Graduate capabilities will be developed in problem solving and team work
through ‘virtual mobility’. Students will then be able to transfer these
capabilities to new digital publishing projects.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
8. Goals, objectives and outcomes (250 words max.): Describe the
project goals, objectives, and anticipated outcomes from the perspective of
impact on student learning
Internationalized curriculum and student experience is one of the key
strategic priorities of RMIT University, along with graduate capabilities that
prepare students for personal, community and professional life.
This project will provide students with a learning experience that delivers on
these priorities by exposing them to real-life learning and social experiences
in a modern and global context.
The goal is for students and staff across the network to engage and innovate
with digital technologies in 3 courses: Narrative for Multimedia; Content
Design Project; and Imaging Practice 3.
3 key objectives for project:
create a constructivist learning environment, specifically by designing
authentic and integrated learning activities in a real project with real
solutions
create a distributed constructionist learning environment, specifically so
that students co-design and co-construct artifacts to express their ideas
transform teaching and learning by connecting students through ‘virtual
mobility’ for creative digital publishing in multiple media
Within this framework, students will be encouraged to experiment with visual
communication to transcend language. They will experience new workflow for
web-to-print, including technical and social challenges in the distributed
environment. Students will improve their digital publishing knowledge and
skills for ongoing coursework and employment.
Our creative students may also discover process and production possibilities
we have not yet imagined. This is particularly relevant to the students’
learning via ‘virtual mobility’ integrated with face-to-face experience.
The project will inform suggested best practice including success criteria for
knowledge production, with potential application for other international higher
education contexts and relevance to the creative industries.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
9.
Measures (250 words max.): What indicators of advancement in
student learning will be measured and how will they be documented?
We want to explore what learning, new practice and innovation occurs in new
media production within a creative and distributed knowledge network.
This will be an action research project incorporating formative evaluation;
participant observation and reflective practice; and action research cyclical
interpretation (planning, action, observation, critical reflection).
Printing choices are currently limited and our students have to outsource large
format printing. We will begin by testing output on existing equipment. At
the end of the project we will test output again, using the industry-standard
suite of equipment, to create a ‘before’ and ‘after’ production quality
comparison.
A survey will also be conducted with students at the start of the project to
establish a baseline of their knowledge and skills. Another student survey will
be performed at the end of the new learning activities, to draw out student
reflection on their own learning.
Focus groups will be held with students and faculty during the lifecycle of the
project, to elicit ideas, plan intervention and evaluate learning.
Samples of student work will be housed within the website we create for the
project. Visual diaries and blogs will be used.
Students’ learning will be evident in their final individual and collaborative
output of e-books generated from storyboard experiments, and e-brochures
and posters following the photographic brief.
We will exhibit student work with invitation to HP and others e.g. advertising,
photography, for professional critique.
Investigators will reflect to draw out our learning about the students’ learning.
This will be captured in presentations and publications.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
10. Project timeline: Describe the project timeline (first 18 months) and
milestones
Phase 1, July to Dec 2006 – fieldwork, establishing a baseline, preparation
Phase 2, Feb to June 2007 – intervention and cross-case analysis
Phase 3, July to Dec 2007 – reflection and modification
The outcomes of the project will be used to help benchmark and improve
practice in internationalizing digital publishing curriculum, as well as providing
immediate benefit to students through deploying an action research
methodology.
PHASE 1:
Fieldwork – build understanding of best practice in curriculum deployment
with local academic teams; share and generate ideas on the implications of
program improvement approaches specific to the studio model; plan and
prepare for international teams.
Main outcomes of Phase 1:
6 short case studies documented, to establish a baseline of knowledge in
reconciling the studio model with creative industry practice approaches,
program improvement cycles, and contemporary discourse around
teaching and learning
Scholarly paper and presentation
Learning environment created for Phase 2, international teams – people,
technology, activities, mentoring
PHASE 2:
Intervention and cross-case analysis – virtual team projects deployed for
international teams; initial and final surveys of students; focus groups;
exhibition of student work for professional critique; critical analysis of pilot
Main outcomes of Phase 2:
Learning environment trialed for international teams
Website published – online showcase of project
Scholarly paper and presentation
Engagement model designed
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
PHASE 3:
Reflection – critical analysis and evaluation of collaboration for the co-creation
of knowledge in digital publishing, enabled by social software applications and
virtual mobility
Modification – refinement of engagement model for iterative practice
Main outcomes of Phase 3:
2 case studies documented
Engagement model refined
Scholarly paper and presentation
11. Technology integration (250 words max.): Describe how you plan to
use the granted HP products to support the goals of your project and how the
granted HP technology will contribute to resolving the fundamental problem
or opportunity this project addresses
The goal and opportunity is for students and faculty to engage and innovate
with digital technologies in 3 courses in the BDesign (Multimedia Systems)
and BA (Photography), forming a creative international knowledge network.
The HP products will help us to build on experience gained in RMIT’s earlier
HP Mobile Technology for Teaching initiative, 2004, in which the multimedia
program participated. The new project will extend that experience to a
specific digital publishing and international context, with the photography
program included for different multi-disciplinary learning.
The photography degree has been an early adopter of digital technology. Over
the past 5 years we have changed the curriculum from analogue technology
to digital. RMIT photography has been a leader in this digital curriculum
within Universities around the world. This is evidenced by the adoption of our
curriculum through the Essential Skills Series written by our faculty. The
series has been taken up and is being taught in over 50 universities and
colleges in Europe and the US, with translations into languages e.g. Spanish,
Mandarin, Romanian.
Building on this curriculum expertise, the project will enrich our students’
experience of international collaboration and ‘virtual mobility’ for digital
publishing. Students will investigate impacts of technological processes on
maintenance of colour integrity, and web-to-print output.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
Colour management will be strengthened by access to the HP equipment: to
support colour rendition accuracy; large format poster presentations; page
design; electronic transmission of images drawn on Tablet PC; wall or screen
projection; scanning and transmitting; image capture and digital
manipulation.
Project Context
12. Course(s) Impacted (100 words max.): Describe the course or
courses that will be impacted by this project and the department(s) in
which the course(s) resides.
The 3 courses impacted are in the School of Creative Media – spanning Vietnam
and Australian campuses for the cross-School multimedia degree; and
photography.
Narrative for Multimedia:
This course focuses on storyboarding, which is an essential skill for multimedia
production. Hypertext narrative, using cascading style sheets, is also explored
in the context of digital publishing.
Content Design Project:
Small teams work on creation and design of content, accessible through a
variety of digital publishing media e.g. mobile phones, computers, print.
Imaging Practice 3:
This team-based course focuses on global, cultural, social and industry-related
visual contexts. Students put into practice their advanced IT and digital
manipulation skills.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
13. Faculty (25 words max.): How many professors/faculty will be directly
involved in this project?
Five faculty will lead the coursework and student coordination aspects of the
project. All will be involved in team teaching and project facilitation.
14. Students (25 words max.): Approximately how many students will be
impacted during the first full year of this pilot project implementation?
Multimedia: 30 students in Vietnam, 30 in Melbourne.
Photography: 40 students in Melbourne.
Another 300 students impacted plus potential in fashion, communication
design, computer science.
Project Support and
Visibility
15. Campus involvement (200 words max.): How will your campus
educational technology and instructional leaders be involved in this
project? What other departments or functions, if any, will provide support
to the project? If your campus is committing matching funds, please
describe.
The Vice Chancellor is committed to global and industry relevant learning,
with special interest in ‘virtual mobility’ and our Vietnam campus. The Deputy
Vice Chancellor (Academic) is responsible for Teaching and Learning strategic
direction setting.
FUNDING:
additional equipment: AU$12,500
tablet PCs, portable media players, digital camera (students Vietnam);
portable media players (students Melbourne)
travel: AU$2,500
intensive coaching (faculty Vietnam)
PORTFOLIO FUNDING:
equipment: AU$4,000
tablet PC, portable media player (project team)
TOTAL RMIT: AU$19,000, plus part-time project officer, AU$15,000
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
Manager of the RMIT Distributed Learning System, and Executive Director of
Information Technology Services will facilitate overall infrastructure, with
implementation guidance from our Portfolio Academic Director IT. RMIT
Educational Media Group Manager will provide advice and support in
multimedia resources and tools, and copyright management.
Information
Technology Services will provide expertise and support for use of the
Distributed Learning System, plus support of mobile devices and wireless
network.
RMIT’s Learning and Teaching Development Group will provide pedagogical
support for the project, conducted under the auspices of the RMIT University
Policy and Programs Committee. Its Educational Technology Advisory Group
will act as the project reference group.
One Chief Investigator is Portfolio
Dean, Academic Development, responsible for teaching and learning strategy
and implementation.
16. Project visibility (100 words max.): Please describe your interest in
and method for developing visibility for the project on your campus and
beyond (publications and presentations at academic events, industry events,
etc.).
The project results will be disseminated internally through regular teaching
and learning forums, workshops and seminars across RMIT.
A website will be created to document project outcomes and student learning.
On completion of the project, the team will mentor another program in the
University to integrate digital technologies and share best practice.
External publication will include national and international journals and
conference proceedings, including ASCILITE (Australasian Society for
Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education), ICCE (International Conference
on Computers in Education), International Conference on Learning. The
international EDUCAUSE conference would be ideal to present the project
findings in 2008.
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
17. Please provide the following contact details:
Principal Investigator:
Dr J Fiona Peterson, Director of Learning & Teaching, School of Creative Media
RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia.
Phone +61 3 9925 9782, Fax +61 3 9925 2474, fiona.peterson@rmit.edu.au
Role on project: Principal Investigator and Project Manager
Secondary Contact:
Dr Marsha Berry, Design Coordinator, Bachelor of Design (Multimedia Systems),
School of Creative Media
RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia.
Phone +61 3 9925 2592, Fax +61 3 9925 2474, marsha.berry@rmit.edu.au
Role on project: Chief Investigator
Additional Team members:
Associate Professor Barbara de la Harpe, PhD, Dean Academic Development,
Design & Social Context, RMIT University
Role on project: Chief Investigator
barbara.delaharpe@rmit.edu.au
Les Horvat, Director of Programs, Higher Education; and Senior Lecturer, BA
Photography; School of Creative Media, RMIT University
Role on project: Researcher
les.horvat@rmit.edu.au
Pauline Anastasiou, Lecturer, BA Photography, School of Creative Media, RMIT
University
Role on project: Researcher pauline.anastasiou@rmit.edu.au
Associate Professor James McGovern, Manager, Distributed Learning System,
RMIT University
Role on project: Educational technology consultant jim.mcgovern@rmit.edu.au
Allan Morris, Executive Director, Information Technology Services, RMIT
University
Role on project: Educational technology consultant allan.morris@rmit.edu.au
John Benwell, Academic Director IT, Design and Social Context, RMIT University
Role on project: Educational technology support john.benwell@rmit.edu.au
Amgad Louka, Manager, Educational Media Group, RMIT University
Role on project: Multimedia resources, tools and copyright management
amgad.louka@rmit.edu.au
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University
Institution Name:
School of Creative Media, RMIT University
phone +61 3 9925 9782, fax +61 3 9925 2474
Shipping Instructions:
John Benwell, Academic Director IT
Design and Social Context
Building 8, level 7, room 66
RMIT University
124 La Trobe Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000
Australia
RMIT University – ABN 49 781 030 034
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2006 Proposal – HP Digital Publishing for University Teaching and Learning, Higher Education
Dr Fiona Peterson, School of Creative Media, RMIT University