Multimedia studies can be thought of as an area, not a discipline. A discipline is a field of study that has an underlying science or methodology. An area is a field of study that draws on other disciplines. An area-based education often addresses immediate employment shortages. A discipline-based education allows you to work in any of several areas or sectors and might provide you with more tools to adapt to changes in the job market.

In Module 1, we saw that there wasn't much agreement on what multimedia meant. Similarly, there isn't a lot of agreement of what multimedia studies entails. This module will give you an overview of what to expect in a multimedia studies program, particularly at UPOU.

Multimedia studies programs around the world

Before introducing you to what multimedia studies at UPOU is like, it might be useful for you to get a sense of what some other university programs in multimedia studies around the world are like.

Most of the multimedia studies programs in the reading are designed along the three thematic streams that the University of New Brunswick has identified in its own program. It is worth restating the program description in full:

The first places the study of the media in an intellectual and social context by exposing students to theoretical, analytical and critical questions about the social and cultural implications of media.

The second encourages the student to develop creatively as an individual and to appreciate the various dynamics of working in a team.

The third aspect of the degree seeks to ensure that the student has an appropriate technical awareness and a sufficient level of competence for today's workplace.

Different programs place a different emphasis on each stream. The University of Southern Queensland's program, for example, places an emphasis on marketing and management, while the University of British Columbia's Certificate in Multimedia Studies develops primarily technical skills.

Note that because the term "multimedia" comes from a particular point in the history of the development of digital technology, other, related terms have evolved since then, and you can find these terms being used in other academic programs that study digital media. Other programs that don't use the term "multimedia" also exist. The Masters of Digital Media offered by a consortium of four institutions in Vancouver, York University's Digital Media program, National University of Singapore's Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environments, and Goldsmith's MFA in Computational Studio Arts.

UPOU's BAMS program aims to produce graduates who are

• knowledgeable in the range and use of multimedia information and communication technologies

• articulate in philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of developments in the field and their social implications in multimedia

• knowledgeable in hardware operation and software development

• able to produce multimedia knowledge products

• able to contribute to the body of research and development in multimedia; and

• capable of keeping abreast with emerging trends, protocols, procedures, and their implications on practice.

The BAMS program is similar to other multimedia studies program around the world, with three thematic streams--theory, creation, and technical competence.

Five categories of courses at BAMS

From my experience of teaching in the BAMS program, I've identified five categories of courses:

1. Theoretical and critical courses on multimedia, communication, culture, and society

2. Research methods for and creative approaches to multimedia

3. Technical and media production courses

4. Computing science and information systems concepts underlying digital multimedia

5. Other courses that don't fit entirely neatly in these categories (including General Education, Mandatory, and Common courses, which are handled by the Faculty of Education)

To help you visualize these categories, I've created iconic representations of the courses and placed them under their relevant categories. A caveat: courses often belong to more than one category, but for purposes of giving you an overview of what you should expect, I've placed a course in only one category.

Four layers of multimedia

Yet another way to analyze multimedia is to think of it as being made of four layers:

1. The Technical Layer

2. The Creative Layer

3. The Individual Interaction Layer

4. The Social Layer

Courses in the BAMS program could be seen to address each of these layers of analysis.

The Technical Layer of multimedia refers to the material and computational aspects of multimedia. It is very much related to the Computing Science and Information Systems category described previously. Courses that mostly address this layer of multimedia include the following:

1. MMS 101

2. MMS 140

3. MMS 141

4. MMS 142

5. MMS 143

6. MMS 144

7. MMS 145

The Creative Layer refers to the way that media elements can be put together to achieve the intent of creators, producers, and users. Courses that mostly address this layer of multimedia include the following:

1. MMS 131

2. MMS 146

3. MMS 170

4. MMS 171

5. MMS 172

6. MMS 173

7. MMS 174

8. MMS 175

9. MMS 176

The Interaction Interaction Layer refers to the way that the unique sensory and cognitive properties of humans affects the way individuals perceive, interact with, consume, and appreciate media products. Courses that mostly address this layer of multimedia include the following:

1. MMS 150

2. MMS 151

3. MMS 170

4. MMS 194

The Social Interaction Layer refers to the fact that media influences the direction of the development society, even as changes in the social, political, and technological ecosystem also affects the development of media. Courses that mostly address this layer of multimedia include the following:

1. MMS 102

2. MMS 112

3. MMS 115

4. MMS 120

5. MMS 121

6. MMS 130

7. MMS 198

Summary

Many multimedia studies programs (including the BAMS program at UPOU) look at the social and cultural implications of digital media; develop creative competencies for media production; and train students in the technical foundations of multimedia through computing science and information systems courses. We will revisit the BAMS courses in a somewhat different way in Module 3 in order to examine how these courses work together to create an integrated learning experience by looking at the program using the design thinking framework.