Multimedia Design Faculty Philosophies

Philosophy

Prof. Karen Hardin
Associate Professor
Howell Hall 114
580-581-2869
khardin@cameron.edu

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I believe in student-centered learning environments with a goal of encouraging critical thinking. To that end, I expect students to take ownership of the learning process. My job is to serve as a guide toward expected outcomes, therefore, I provide collaborative learning environments that encourage students to work together to comprehend, evaluate, synthesize and apply the content of the course rather than giving them information or multimedia tutorials to memorize for a test or project and subsequently forget a majority of what they "learned."

It is our responsibility to prepare students for the rest of their lives, not just teach content, therefore, I believe that the process of learning is as important as the content itself. In a world of constant change, lifelong learning has become a constant. This is true in all fields, but especially in Multimedia. Because software changes regularly, it is important to focus on effective elements of design, not software packages. Students must learn how to experiment with multiple software packages and have the flexibility to transfer skills and apply effective design according to the software that is available. Too often, students get excited about software packages. I encourage students to view software as a tool that is a means to an end.

I was involved in the initial development of the Multimedia Design program and I am enthusiastic about the future impact our students can make. Every field of employment will have some element of multimedia and our students, committed to lifelong learning, will be the "go to" people of the next generation.