The focus and structure of the three-year Creative Industries Global Network, (CIGN) project is as follows: 1. To develop a lasting and sustainable International network between key Higher Education Institutions, employer organisations and Sector Skills Alliance Partners, (SSA’s) to identify future skills gaps in the area of ‘Cross Media Design and Production’. Following this and in consultation with key stakeholders develop innovative modular content, training activities and workshops and provide opportunities for dissemination of this research through existing and developing media technology platforms. 2. The lead partner in the project will be Linköpings Universitet, (LiU) Sweden. The other partners are, Hochschule der Medien, (HdM,) Stuttgart, Arteveldehogeschool (AhS), Gent, Belgium, and The University of the West of Scotland, (UWS). A fourth, silent partner, Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, will also be involved in the partnership on a consultancy basis. Project Activities will include the following: In the first year of the project there will be an identification and consolidation of common areas of practice between partner institutions, and the development of staff training workshops. Meetings will take place with steering group partners and key industrial and sector skills alliance partners, (SSAP’s) and in order to provide training opportunities in line with individual requirements which may include: • Identifying opportunities for sharing and using new pedagogical methodologies for international cooperation. • Reviewing opportunities for participatory approaches to learning and teaching, including the implementation of distance and blended learning techniques. • Integration of new technologies where appropriate. In the end of the first year and into the second year of the project, we will identify and develop modules across the partner institutions. Proposed titles could include: • International Professional and Entrepreneurial Practice • International Creative Practice • International Opportunities for Engagement in Placement and Work Related Learning • International Collaborative Projects • International Language modules • Modules with the topic of Cultural Diversity Modules In the second year, the partners will also investigate opportunities for both local and inter-institutional dissemination of findings. (This includes engagement with international SSAP’s and awarding bodies.) A second staff training workshop exploring best practice in assessment will also be held. Also in the second year of the project, opportunities will be created to disseminate (developed) modules to the international student body via a series of short-courses in partner institutions. Modular titles (ECTS Credit bearing) will be offered to students and involve periods of staff exchange and on-line student engagement. This is aimed at encouraging inter-institutional mobility, new modes of international deliveries and the exchange of best and innovative practices in the areas of language, culture, collaboration, creative/professional practice and employability. In Year three of the project, activities will center around the revision/dissemination of project findings and allow for the preparation of conclusive reports, initially to all parties who have been involved in the project, but as importantly, through web and social media platforms to future global collaborative partners. The intended results of the practice-based research project and resultant activities would encourage the following for both staff and students: • Increased awareness of intercultural and international opportunities within their own subject area • Increased awareness of entrepreneurial and employability opportunities in both local and global communities • An understanding of cultural differences when approaching practice-based solutions • Opportunities to investigate collaborative practice in an international context and • A greater understanding of international credit bearing systems, validatory bodies and quality assurance systems.
The applicants identified a requirement for modernisation of ”Cross-Media Design and Production” modules following a three-year Intensive Project, ICDC (http://www.designcamp.eu), in their shared areas of practice and theory. The team proposed a new project to be developed based on the findings of the ICDC project, and an understanding of the abilities of the organizations to work collaboratively. The objectives of the three-year Creative Industries Global Network (CIGN) project included developing a lasting and sustainable international network between key Higher Education Institutions, (HEI’s) employer organisations, (SME’s) and Sector Skills Alliance Partners, (SSAP's) to identify future skills gaps in 'Cross Media Design and Production'; developing innovative modular content, training activities and workshops and providing opportunities for dissemination of this research using existing and developing media technology platforms. Linköping University, (LiU) Sweden was the lead partner. Other partners included Stuttgart Media University, (HdM) Germany, Artevelde University College Ghent (AhS), Belgium, and The University of the West of Scotland, (UWS), Scotland. A fifth, associate partner, Ryerson University (RU) Canada, was also involved in the project. Project activities included identification and consolidation of common areas of practice between partner institutions, and the development of staff training workshops in Stuttgart and Ghent. Management meetings occurred between partners and key industrial/sector skills alliance partners in order to provide training opportunities congruent with individual requirements including: • Identifying opportunities for sharing and using new pedagogical methodologies for international cooperation • Reviewing opportunities for participatory approaches to learning and teaching, including the implementation of distance and blended learning techniques. • Integration of new technologies applied to cross-media design and production. At the end of the first year, participants identified and developed modules across the partner institutions. These spanned fields including International Cross-Media Design and Production, Collaborative Projects, and Media literacy amongst others. During the second year, partners investigated opportunities for both local and inter-institutional dissemination of findings These included engagement with international Sector Skills Alliance Partner's, (SSAP’s) and awarding bodies. A second staff-training workshop was held in Ghent exploring benchmarking and best practices in learning, teaching and assessment. Partners continued to disseminate findings at international educational design conferences and events. Opportunities were created to disseminate pilot modules to the international student body via a series of short courses at partner institutions. Modular titles (ECTS credit bearing) were offered to students and involved periods of staff exchange and when possible, on-line and on-site student engagement (Erasmus + exchange). This encouraged inter-institutional mobility, new modes of international delivery and the exchange of best and innovative practices in the areas of language, culture, collaboration, creative/professional practice and employability. Throughout years two and three, CIGN partners disseminated project research findings at international educational design conferences and events. In year three of the project, activities centered around revision/dissemination of project findings and allowed for preparation of conclusive reports. Initially, these were distributed to all parties who were involved in the project, and through web and social media platforms to future global collaborative partners. The results of the project and resultant activities included the following: • intensified awareness of intercultural and international opportunities within relevant subject areas • Increased recognition of entrepreneurial and employability opportunities • Understanding of cultural differences when approaching practice-based solutions • Investigation of collaborative practice in an international context • Comprehension of international course credit points, validatory bodies and quality assurance systems Important long-term impacts of the project were anticipated to include revised curricula at partner institutions. Safeguarding current research in identified areas of cross-media design and production, and dissemination to an increased audience of interested partners/practitioners.