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Increasing authenticity through multidisciplinarycollaboration in real-life scenarios in digital mediadesign educationKatja Fleischmann a & Ryan James Daniel aa James Cook University, School of Creative Arts , Townsville, AustraliaPublished online: 22 Jul 2010.

To cite this article: Katja Fleischmann & Ryan James Daniel (2010) Increasing authenticity through multidisciplinarycollaboration in real-life scenarios in digital media design education, CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation inDesign and the Arts, 6:2, 61-74, DOI: 10.1080/15710882.2010.493940

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15710882.2010.493940

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Increasing authenticity through multidisciplinary collaboration in

real-life scenarios in digital media design education

Katja Fleischmann* and Ryan James Daniel

James Cook University, School of Creative Arts, Townsville, Australia

(Received 30 June 2009; final version received 13 May 2010)

Undergraduate digital media design education is linked to a professional orvocational model, given that students are typically focused on the industry and itsemployment opportunities. Introducing authentic real-life scenarios in digital mediadesign education is an effective strategy to replicate industry and the profession inorder to prepare students for a successful transition from the classroom to theirfuture multidisciplinary collaborative work environment. Linking industry andeducation in the scenario allows students to explore workplace issues and interactwith practitioners, enabling them to understand the realities and complexitiesassociated with multidisciplinary teamwork within the sector in which they will work.This article overviews the design of a real-life scenario to foster collaborative

learning for digital media design and information technology students. Keyfindings include the fact that the majority of students indicated a future preferenceto work on real-world projects, they found the integrated feedback from anindustry professional helpful, and more complex projects of a higher standardwere completed. Students also experienced ‘authentic’ challenges during thecollaborative process (e.g. communication challenges) and which reflect those ofindustry. The study also revealed that the introduction of multidisciplinary teamsleads to a more enriched learning environment for all participating students.

Keywords: multidisciplinary collaboration; authentic learning environment; real-life scenarios; digital media design

1. Introduction

Undergraduate digital media design education is ‘inextricably linked to a

professional or vocational model’ (Triggs 2002, p. 68), given that students are

typically focused on the industry and its employment opportunities. In order to

prepare students for a successful transition from the classroom to the workplace,

many design programs worldwide employ project-based learning as part of their

curriculum (Duggan and Dermody 2005). These projects are often applied in nature

and simulate or imitate professional practice (McCoy 2005). For instance, a design

educator might have students design a logo and brand for a fictional company. At

times, a real client (e.g. community group seeking a new logo) may be brought into

the learning environment in order to engage with students and participate in the

project.

*Corresponding author. Email: katja.fleischmann@jcu.edu.au

CoDesign

Vol. 6, No. 2, June 2010, 61–74

ISSN 1571-0882 print/ISSN 1745-3755 online

Ó 2010 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/15710882.2010.493940

http://www.informaworld.com

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While the design project may or may not be fictional (a scenario), it is authentic

in that the lecturer or external party takes the position of a client and presents to the

students a briefing that demands a solution to a ‘real-world’ problem. Students then

engage in a process of problem-solving, decision-making, self-directed learning,

action-based learning, critical analysis and reflective activities to generate the

finished product. Part of the training for students is the presentation of the solution

to staff, peers or external candidates, and in this way is similar to scenario-based

learning in other areas, such as veterinary science, where students for example

present to a farm manager possible solutions to specific animal management issues

(Parkinson 2003). Certainly, several authors argue the need to link learning

experiences directly to real-world situations; for example, Bennet, Harper and

Hedberg (2002) argue that ‘there must be an alignment between the context in which

learning is presented in the formal setting and the real-life setting in which that

knowledge will be called upon’ (p. 2). Errington (2008) supports this and states that

scenarios need to be ‘as realistic as possible in both construction (content) and

delivery (communication)’ (p. 1).

While it is typically a broad aim underpinning the discipline, digital media design

education at the higher education level often struggles to reflect current industry

practice (Ball 2003, Design Skills Advisory Panel 2007, Whyte and Bessant 2007).

The reasons are twofold and interconnected. Firstly, projects often fail to reflect the

reality of the industry where designers rarely work in isolation but more often as part

of interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams (Triggs 2002, Duggan and Dermody

2005). Secondly, the increasing complexity of real-world interactive multimedia

solutions makes it difficult to formulate ‘authentic projects’ which demand from

students a finished multimedia solution, because multiple disciplines are needed to

produce such a project (Niederhelm 2001, Whyte and Bessant 2007). That is, the

project will rely not only on design skills, but also those from areas such as

information technology or business.

2. Developing a problem-based and real-world scenario for design education

For digital media design educators, the use of real-world clients in scenarios has

gained research attention. For example, an argued benefit of this approach is the

degree of ambiguity added to the learning environment (Duggan and Dermody

2005). While design briefs presented by the lecturer are usually ‘tailor made for the

students and [. . .] written in an explicit or prescriptive manner’ (Duggan and

Dermody 2005, p. 138), ambiguity is often an accompanying feature of real-world

projects, where a client may change opinion, budget or expectations. That is,

reassessment and negotiation are part of the project development process. At the

same time, there are no published research data that consider what ‘type’ of real-

world client is most beneficial for a scenario in digital media design education, be this

an industry partner providing a specific brief, an industry client seeking guidance, or

a community client developing a new profile.

Given the significance of the researchers’ home institution in terms of its location

as a primary provider of higher education for northern Australia, and the

university’s strategic intent to make a difference to the people and industries of

the region, the researchers decided to favour projects provided by community

organisations who often lack the resources to finance professional design solutions.

Through being engaged in a real-world and authentic project, the intention would

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also be to have students develop an understanding of the social responsibility and the

cultural impact they have when working in the creative industries that serves the

wider community (Rock 1994, Heller 2003).

The need for stronger links to the creative industries is clearly identified in order

to better prepare students for the demands of the contemporary market (Ball 2003,

Design Council 2005, Design Skills Advisory Panel 2007). For example, incorporat-

ing within the learning environment a design professional who can ensure that

dynamic industry practice is reflected in the scenario is one way of achieving this.

Recently completed research (Another and Author 2010) involving digital media

design students provided evidence of the benefits for learning when linking industry

practice and the academic environment through the introduction of a real-world

project and industry professional into the learning environment. Students

participating in this approach were, for example, more highly motivated and

engaged because their learning experience was more realistic. Following the

successful outcomes of this initial trial (Fleischmann and Daniel 2010) it was

deemed appropriate to extend the environment and include additional disciplines in

order to reflect contemporary work practice.

Therefore, and in order to increase authenticity in the classroom for digital media

design students, three industry input points were proposed for a real-life scenario: the

launch of a research activity that engages students in the exploration of their future

workplace (e.g. multimedia design companies), the introduction of a real client, and the

integration of feedback from an industry professional during the project development

process. The core learning activity (solving a real-world problem) would also be

undertaken in multidisciplinary teams in order to make the project more authentic.

The overarching goals were to enable students to develop:

(1) an enhanced understanding of the contemporary work environment;

(2) an understanding of the benefits of multidisciplinary teamwork;

(3) an understanding of the realities and complexities of multidisciplinary

teamwork;

(4) enhanced teamwork skills; and

(5) discipline-based skills as well as a broad understanding of other disciplines.

Drawing on the literature related to problem-based learning (e.g. Koschmann et al.

1994, The University of Adelaide 2000, Vat 2001, Newman 2004, Barrett et al. 2005)

and the reflective framework proposed by Ellmers (2006) for the tertiary graphic

design learning environment, Figure 1 overviews the conceptual learning framework

that was implemented in order to achieve the intended outcomes for students. In the

figure, the three industry inputs are shown on the right-hand side with tutor inputs to

the process on the left. The core learning activity is based around the interaction of

multiple disciplines.

3. Implementation of the real-life scenario

The real-life scenario conceptualised in Figure 1 was subsequently implemented in

the 2009 offering of Web Authoring 1, a subject run over a 13-week teaching

semester. This subject is concerned with the production of websites and includes

reference to principles of composition, HTML, file directory and the optimisation of

a site via core elements of typography, images, sound and animation. Students are

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expected to create web pages that demonstrate their understanding and use of basic

web design and web development principles.

In order to reflect a real-world work environment, to ensure that multi-

disciplinary collaboration provides the potential for all students to explore and

further develop their area of expertise (defined learning outcomes specific to each

discipline), while also promoting the realities and requirements for successful

teamwork, it was formally negotiated and arranged to offer Web Authoring 1 in

collaboration with Multimedia Web Design, a subject taken by students studying

Information Technology (IT). The core difference between the two subjects comes

in the focus on the ‘front end’ and creative aspects of web design in Web

Authoring 1 as against the ‘back end’ website development focus in Multimedia

Web Design. While each subject is core to the relevant degrees in which they are

offered, the subjects are also regularly taken by students from other disciplines (e.g.

Business, Journalism) as an elective subject. As a total cohort, this formal

Figure 1. Conceptual learning framework for a real-life scenario reflecting multidisciplinaryindustry practice.

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combination of digital media design and IT students represented an excellent

opportunity to further explore multidisciplinary collaboration and within authentic

learning scenarios, with two tutors (one from design, one from IT) guiding the

students within this environment.

3.1. Understanding the industry through research and investigation

In order to connect students’ learning directly to the real world, an overarching

research activity was introduced as part of the scenario, with Web Authoring 1

students required to research the multimedia design industry in Australia prior to

engaging with an external client. Students in pairs contacted two companies and

conducted interviews in order to find out how the company developed projects, if

they engaged in collaborative practice and what disciplines were involved in the

project development process. Students were also asked to investigate employer

expectations of design graduates. Research findings were shared via short

presentations and discussions with all students, whereby the digital media design

tutor would lead the students to understand how different scenarios emerge in

industry once clients are involved.

3.2. Setting the scene for the real-life scenario

Step 1: Team forming process

To ensure that each team had an effective mix of disciplines, each student was asked

to identify:

. their primary study area or discipline;

. their existing knowledge and skills; and

. their willingness to acquire new skills/knowledge in this subject.

This was also to further ensure that students complemented each other in a team,

given the scenario required students not only to attend the weekly lecture and

practicals but also to participate in other team activities such as meetings. In order to

facilitate the team forming process, a questionnaire was developed (Table 1).

Students were asked to submit their information a week before the project started,

giving the tutors enough time to evaluate the information and form teams. In the

event, 11 multidisciplinary teams of 5–6 students were formed.

Step 2: Client briefing

Students were then introduced to the problem through a client briefing. The client on

this occasion was seeking a web presence for the oldest literary magazine in the

northern tropics of Australia. Without being overly prescriptive, the website should link

readers and writers of regional Australia and North Queensland with national and

international communities of readers and writers, hence presenting to students a

problem that could have taken a range of directions within each group. Given there was

no ‘right answer’ for the activity, various decisions and reflections would be vital to

each group’s development of the website and community interface. The students were

provided with some resource material such as short stories, poetry and essays from

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already published issues. During the briefing session, students were encouraged to ask

questions and inquire further into the aims and purpose of the website. Table 2

summarises the client briefing and which formed the basis of the scenario.

Step 3: Project milestones

In order to make the project manageable for the students, milestones were set, each

with required tasks and outcomes. The progress was monitored by and discussed

with the tutors on a weekly basis. Feedback sessions were usually followed by team

discussions that included assessment of the given feedback and negotiations on how

to further progress the project. The specific milestones were:

. initial ideas and concept development – forming the vision for the website

(1 week);

. developing the information architecture and flowchart for the website (1 week);

. defining look and feel of the website – initial suggestions and evaluations (2 weeks);

. content development and programming – ensuring the website functions in

terms of both visual presentation and internal structures (3 weeks); and

Table 1. Questionnaire for team forming process.

This is a real-life scenario. The challenge is to contribute to the success of your team byapplying your existing knowledge as well as exploring new areas. In order to form teams in thebest possible way, we need the following information:Name:What is your major/minor?O Digital Media Design O Information Technology O Education O JournalismO Digital Visual Arts O Digital Sound O Digital Imaging O Other _____

I have a little/some experience in designing/authoring websites: O Yes O NoI really would like to learn more about theO IT side of web design O Design side of web design

I know how to use:O Photoshop O Illustrator O Dreamweaver O Flash O PHP O MySQLO Other relevant programs/skills__________

I have not used the software much, but I really would like to learn more about:O Photoshop O Illustrator O Dreamweaver

I am really keen to learn more about(check only those you intend to spend time on during the project work)O software applications O design O marketing and concept of online applicationsO illustrating/drawing O taking photos O researching

There are currently two practical times at 10–12pm and 1–3pm.Which one are you attending?Teams need to work together during practical time.O I must be in the practical I signed up for.O I can also be in a team that meets in the other practical time.

I know that a teamwork session is scheduled at 3–5pm in the labs beginning in week 6.O I can meet with my team during this time.O I would like to meet during this time but I have other responsibilities which hindermyself from participating. I would need a team that is willing to meet at a different time.

What is your work style/rhythm?O I prefer to work on assignments right from the beginning and work regularly in order tosee progress.O I need the pressure to build up. I often work on assignments during the last couple ofdays/nights before they are due.

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. final production, testing and documentation – preparation for handing over to

the client (3 weeks).

Step 4: Presentation

A formal client presentation was held, giving each team 10 minutes to present the

essence of their concept and show the final product online. The client was given

the link to each website and the project documentation for the decision as to

which of the 11 websites would be chosen as the literary magazine’s new online

presence.

3.3. Role of the tutors and the design industry professional

Throughout the project, student teams had weekly consultation times to discuss

progress with the tutors. This time was also used to check if each team

Table 2. Project scenario briefing presented to students.

Project BriefingClient: North Queensland Literary JournalProject: Design and development of a websiteMission:. To link readers and writers of regional Australia and North Queensland with national

and international communities of readers and writers;. To link readers and writers of regional Australia and North Queensland with national

and international communities of readers and writers;. To promote the written word and visual arts in regional Australia;. To serve as the regional voice of the Australian Arts Community among a market of

little magazines and journals that mostly derive from the big cities in Australia;. To act as a repository for First Person voices from the region reflecting that multiplicity

of voices that gives the region its unique flavour. (Plug tropical and regional!);. To continue a proud tradition as Australia’s longest-continuing regional literary journal

while also appealing to and showcasing vibrant new voices and artists;. To LINK: to new readers, to our past, to our future, to a wider Arts community online,

and to link the region and the world.Goals for project/What does the client want to achieve?To make the journal self-sustaining by identifying our demographic so as to be able to grow

an advertising revenue and sponsorship for the journal.To grow our readership from a handful of loyal supporters by making the journal more

relevant across generations and more inclusive by making it less high-brow.What else is important for the design and development process?. May go exclusively online if revenue from advertising and sponsorship can sustain us. Want to showcase emerging graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, artists as well

as writers. Lots of online participation with readers. Online function for submissions of articles and short stories so we don’t have to deal

with email. submissions or manual ones

The project development outcome should consist of:-the full functional online website;-a design document containing the style guide for the website;-a project document that explains the project development process, individualcontributions and project management schedule;-a project presentation to client in week 13.

Deadline: Week 13, at the beginning of the lecture.

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understood what the project required and if tasks and responsibilities were evenly

and effectively distributed. During the first few weeks especially, tutors needed to

ensure that teams did not undertake overly ambitious projects or develop

concepts that were outside the capabilities of the group. Tutors also held formal

lectures where subject knowledge was presented and resources for self-directed

learning introduced. In addition, practical sessions were used to deliver additional

tutorials where students could learn and practice, for example, the use of

web authoring software or how to style web pages using Cascading Style Sheets

(CSS).

A web design professional from a successful regional multimedia design

company was also invited to validate the industry standards of the projects

and to provide additional insights into professional practice. Towards the end of

the semester, in order that students had both developed the penultimate

proposal for the website and also had time to accommodate feedback, the guest

professional gave formal evaluations to the students on their developed projects.

3.4. Project outcomes

Eleven websites were formally presented to the client. Each website was distinct in

style and design and showcased the synergies between digital media design students

who focused on the ‘front end’ (interface, navigation and interaction design, for

example) and IT students who focused on the ‘back end’ of the project (CSS styling

and database development, for example), by implementing Web 2.0 themes such as

the development of web-based literary communities through facilitating interactive

information sharing. One website was subsequently selected by the client as the most

suitable to introduce the 40-year-old literary magazine into the digital environment

of the twenty-first century.

4. Evaluation methodology

In order to explore participants’ reactions to and reflections on this new learning

environment, and following careful consideration of the range of methods

available to the researchers, the following methods of data collection were

undertaken:

. students’ final reflections using an online survey that enabled both quantitative

and qualitative data to be collected;

. face-to-face interviews with all teams at the conclusion of the course; and

. an interview with the information technology lecturer.

In addition, voluntary feedback presented by students through the University’s formal

‘student feedback on subjects’ system was investigated. The complete data set was

considerable and offered a range of opportunities for analysis and comparison;

however, for the purposes of this study, the focus was to be predominantly on the

experience of the digital media design students in order to further build on the findings

obtained in earlier research by the authors (Another and Author 2010). At the same

time, the data included insights from the information technology students and tutor,

thus allowing for this important feedback to be analysed and incorporated here.

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5. Overall reflection on the learning environment

Of the 45 students who provided feedback on their learning experiences at the end

of the subject through an anonymous online survey, 22% (10 students) enjoyed all

aspects of working in a team, 47% (21 students) enjoyed it even though it was

challenging at times, and 29% (13 students) did not enjoy it but did see the benefits

of working in a team on such a project. Only 2% (1 student) did not enjoy it and

thought he/she would have done a better job working on the project on his/her

own.

It was a pleasing result to see that the majority of students recognised the need to

collaborate. When asked if they felt that the project had benefited due to working

with other disciplines, the majority (98% or 44 students) stated yes, therefore

providing clear evidence in support of this approach.

5.1. Key outcomes: benefits and challenges for digital media design students

In order to explore the extent to which the intended outcomes for digital

media design students were achieved, Table 3 presents quantitative and

qualitative data (exemplar comments) to evidence that these outcomes were largely

achieved.

While Table 3 provides substantial evidence in support of the new approach

and intended outcomes for students, there were also challenges identified by

students in relation to the functional aspects of working in a team, for example:

[Tasks] were initially distributed well and equally but a couple of people didn’t meettheir quota and therefore the workload lessened for some and increased for others,therefore creating an unbalanced project.

Some members in the group contributed more than others because they had a differentset of priorities and expectations.

I think the jobs were distributed equally based on what each member of the team said theywere capable of but in the end it turned out that certain members were just talk and werenot capable of completing tasks they were assigned.

Overall, the results were very positive and present a strong case for the fact

that, in such subject areas as Web Authoring, undergraduate digital media design

education and a multidisciplinary collaborative learning environment need to be

inextricably linked. Students’ positive feedback on the multidisciplinary teamwork

experience is an indicator that they now have a clear understanding of their

future work environment: 75% (15 of 20 students) fully expect to work in a team

environment in the industry and 20% (4 students) expect that it would be more

than likely.

5.2. Reflections on the integration of external clients to the scenario

The majority of students (79%, 15 of 19 students) indicated a preference to now

work on a real-world project for a real client, and which was a very strong

indication of the success of this strategy. The following comments are illustrative

of this:

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Table 3. Key outcomes for digital media design students.

Intended outcome for students Evidential base

. enable students to develop anenhanced understanding of thecontemporary work environment

You were asked to research multimedia designcompanies in Australia. Do you think thisassignment was beneficial?

79% (15 students) thought it was beneficial and agood way to engage with the industry. 21%(4 students) could not see the benefits of this task.

. It really gave an insight into what is expected of usonce we graduate and what sort of world is open tous after university.

. It got us to see what they were looking for in adesign student so we knew what we had to do tomake it into the industry.

. It keeps you focused about where you want to endup when you finish studying. Also gives you aninsight in to how these companies work/ what theyexpect from graduates.

. enable students to develop anunderstanding of the benefits

Do you think your project has benefited fromworking with students of other disciplines?

of multidisciplinary teamwork 95% (19 of 20 students) stated yes.. There is so much technical stuff that I would

never have the patience or time to learn and don’tknow any of. Without those people the site wouldnot have functioned or be completed to thedegree it is.

. Having their knowledge with the IT side is areal advantage, there is the possibility to createsomething really good as opposed to somethingokay if it was just one discipline.

. More outcomes or tasks were achieved becauseof the combining effort, e.g. the design studentsdidn’t know a lot of what could be achieved fromthe IT side by working together they could achievegreater outcomes then by themselves.

. Without help from the IT students our websitewould have not been much more than a flat image.

. enable students to develop Do you think your team was functional?an understanding of the 40% (8 students) yes;realities and complexities of 50% (10 students) sometimes;multidisciplinary teamwork 10% (2 students) no.

. When you start combining such differentdisciplines I think it is very difficult for anumber of reasons but mostly because of differentapproaches to projects and those of anotherdiscipline may not understand what your tasksare/time frames, etc.

. As a team sometimes someone would come forwardas the leader of the group and take over certainareas which leaves some others struggling to findtheir place in the team.

. Although it was hard to meet at times, the groupwas motivated to do the work and create a goodwebsite.

. Having a member drop out without telling anyoneand not doing their assigned work was a royal pain.

(continued)

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It is good to work on a real-world project as all the information is laid out for you andyou have a better understanding of what you are trying to achieve but at the same timethere was a lot more pressure to succeed because it is a real job.

As much as I would rather not work for a real-world client, it is better for us to do sobecause we are learning to deal with something that we would have to deal with outsideof uni.

Makes you try harder and better because you know that someone is actually going touse the site and is a chance to get a real-life environment feel.

5.3. Reflections on the integration of an industry professional to the scenario

While an earlier study found a very high percentage (98%) of support for the

industry input (Fleischmann and Daniel 2010), on this occasion there was less

support from some students. While 70% (14 of 20 students) found the formal

feedback and lecture from the web design professional valuable, some negative

comments were presented. Exemplar positive and negative comments are found in

Table 4.

Table 3. (Continued).

Intended outcome for students Evidential base

. Communication between designers and ITwas difficult at times.

. enable students to developenhanced teamwork skills

‘This subject helped me develop my ability towork as a team member’

17 responses created an average of 4.2 (rating outof 5) on the University’s evaluation system.

In detail:41% (7 students) rated ‘Outstanding’ (5);47% (8 student) rated ‘More than acceptable’ (4); and12% (2 students) rated ‘Acceptable’ (3).0% rated ‘Not really acceptable’0% rated ‘Completely unacceptable. The nature of the group work further enhanced

my ability to work with people across disciplines.. enable students to develop

discipline-based skills as wellas a broad understanding of

Do you feel that you could explore and concentrateon your area of expertise while being partof the team?

other disciplines 90% (18 of 20 students) stated yes.Do you think that you have developed a better

understanding on how people from IT and Designcould work together or are working together onsuch projects?

100% (20 students) stated yes.. We divided the workload and I was able to work on

my chosen area as part of the assignment. I learnt alot from another team member and as a result Ithink I developed better results.

. We had the opportunities to learn anotherdiscipline and focus on your own discipline.

. You were able to work in the area that you knowbest and the same with others rather than strugglingwith areas that you are unfamiliar with.

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The feedback by students indicates that the introduction of an industry

professional does not necessarily work successfully for all students. It does, however,

remain of benefit for the majority.

5.4. Reflections from the tutors

It is certainly the case that implementing and facilitating the scenario was time-

intensive, required careful planning and a high amount of flexibility and energy.

However, the positive learning outcomes indicated through student feedback and

the benefits experienced by the tutors validates future offerings of this nature. The

addition of the real-world client and subsequent ambiguity associated with their

views on what was sought as the final product required students to embrace this

issue rather than rely on the tutors for direct guidance. Despite some challenges,

the introduction of multidisciplinary teamwork was seen as very beneficial.

Students developed more complex projects of a higher standard in comparison to

the subject taught to design students only in previous iterations.

The IT tutor stated in an interview at the end of the semester:

It was a success . . . most of the students seemed positive about working together . . . Sothe idea of collaborating between IT and creative arts worked particularly well for thissubject, . . . To me it had a ‘real’ real-world sort of aspect.

He identified the following key benefits:

. multidisciplinary teamwork provides students with a realistic world experience;

. IT and design students have defined (authentic) roles within the team but share

the work;

Table 4. Students’ comments on consultation and feedback session with web designprofessional.

Positive comments Negative comments

. Offered industry-related informationand was helpful for direction of project.

. She didn’t have strong opinions! Herresponses/ideas were not that helpful.She seemed unsure of what she wastalking about.

. She helped a lot with the design. Couldhave been more negative though!

. Her input was misleading and notbeneficial at all. Unfortunately shepointed us in the wrong directionwhich left us trying to redo the websitewith only a week remaining.

. They are already working in the industry andknow what it’s like to deal with clients soit is very valuable input.

. She was not much of a help. Allthose things she had to say wereinteresting. Maybe if she engaged thegroup better and would have criticizedour website.

. Helps give us an understanding of that isgood and what isn’t.

. Because it allowed us to see if our websitecame up to industry standards.

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. they learn from each other, learn to communicate with each other and also

understand the project development process and what is needed to make ‘front

end’ and ‘back end’ work together; and

. the projects are more complex and of higher quality.

He also identified some challenges, including:

. some students not contributing enough and taking advantage of the more

motivated students in a team; and

. managing the scope of a project to ensure that all team members are challenged

in their discipline.

Certainly, the students preferred the two-tutor model, with 91% (41 students, IT and

Digital Media Design) in favour of this approach. Both discipline cohorts presented

the same core benefit of this approach, as evidenced by the following example

comments:

If you needed help on a certain topic you could refer to the person with the mostexperience in the matter. (IT student)

We were doing a project that required both areas it was good to get feedback from eacharea and also have someone to go to that knows more about either area. (digital mediadesign student)

6. Conclusion and directions

Introducing authentic real-life scenarios in digital media design education is an

effective strategy to replicate industry and the profession. Linking industry and

education in the scenario allows students to explore workplace issues and interact

with practitioners, enabling them to understand the contemporary work environ-

ment. By integrating multidisciplinary teamwork into the learning environment,

hence simulating industry practice as closely as possible, students were able to

develop deep discipline-based skills as well as broad understandings of other

disciplines. The collaborative approach introduced students to the realities and

complexities associated with multidisciplinary teamwork and enabled students to

develop enhanced teamwork skills. The positive reception by another discipline

towards this style of delivery provides additional evidence of both the success of this

approach as well as the need for this type of learning environment for students who

seek a career in the contemporary digital media design sector. Further structural

collaborations are envisioned, for example with Journalism, to extend the benefits of

such collaborations in future offerings.

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