Abstract:

It is recognised that there is a shortage of skilled workers in Creative Industries. This is particularly prevalent in the visual effects, animation, and games industries, due to significant growth in the industry, heightened pressure to produce more content in less time, higher quality expectations relevant to technology advancements, and the emergence of novel technologies such as virtual production. Hence, the need to design and deliver Higher Education (HE) courses that meet the needs of the industry is imperative. In addition to technical and design thinking skills, pedagogical approaches in HE do not tend to focus on training students’ interpersonal skills in a way that matches industry practices. The ability to organise work, develop a “critical eye” to self-evaluate, deliver and receive feedback effectively, and action adjustments based on feedback are critical skills which could be underpinned more effectively.

This paper explores the adoption of “Dailies” within a digital design undergraduate curriculum; an industry standard practice used to provide regular and formative feedback in a group setting. Specifically, the paper reflects on its integration across all stages of an undergraduate curriculum, with supporting data drawn from student mid-term and end-of-module evaluations. Findings reveal how the integration of the dailies practice helps students better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their work through self-evaluation, obtain better outcomes, build resilience, and how to effectively engage in meaningful feedback dialogue with their peers and others. Furthermore, it highlights how such practice can positively impact student experience whilst also having the potential to narrow the skills gap between graduates and industry expectations.

Keywords:

Higher education, creative industries, design pedagogy, feedback, industry practice.