OCAD University is proving to be on the cutting-edge of education with nine new initiatives that will showcase the future of virtual learning for studio-based art, design and digital media education.
The projects, including a new intellectual property law certificate and new virtual reality partnership, have been recognized by eCampus Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy and will contribute to accelerating high-quality and online learning that is accessible and inclusive.
The University has received more than $1.4 million for the projects, as part of a new $70 million investment by the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of College and Universities.
“We’re thrilled to see our forward-thinking to studio-based learning recognized through this initiative,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “At OCAD U, we’re committed to responding to the demands of the workforce, and unlocking the potential of our students. These projects do all of that and more. We’re grateful to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for this funding, and are excited to see the results.”
New certificate in IP law for creatives
One funded project is the new Intellectual Property (IP) Law for Creative Entrepreneurs Certificate. This asynchronous online program, in partnership with the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law, will be offered as individual course modules that stack to make a certificate, and will fill a major skills gap in the knowledge and application of IP law for creative leaders.
IP training has traditionally focused on STEM-related activities, but innovation is a universal ideal that infuses a wide range of art, design and other creative practices, so this program will be an invaluable resource for creative professionals at all stages of their careers.
OCAD U’s School of Continuing Studies Director Evan Tapper says this new program will “empower creative professionals to counter the erosion of artists’ rights by giving them the knowledge and confidence to protect their work, to develop their work, and if they want, to scale their work. This certificate will remind people what their rights are, and how they can advocate for themselves.”
The certificate “represents a significant step forward in capacity-building in IP literacy for the creative sector, and it will ensure that Ontario’s talented creators have the necessary tools to protect their commercial interests in ways that align with their values,” says Myra J. Tawfik, Distinguished University Professor and EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Windsor.
Project partners with Masterpiece Studio
Responding to the needs of the workforce means working in partnership with industry. That is why OCAD U has joined with Masterpiece Studio on a project that will give students opportunities to use Masterpiece Studio’s state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) tools to create in a user-friendly environment, while also shaping the future of Masterpiece Studio’s development and application.
“A partnership like this is unique because it works with industry to co-design a technology, a way of using it, and a way of creating in new and exciting ways. The generative aspects of this collaboration will give our students tools to explore, and iteratively create works in virtual reality, but also by prioritizing their skills, desires and interests, will bring new ways to make those virtual projects real,” says OCAD U project lead Dr. Emma Westecott.
OCAD U students in the Faculty of Design, Faculty of Art and the Digital Futures program will co-design pathways for learning with these tools, and this collaboration will unlock the potential for a new generation of artists and designers to design, develop, and create immersive 3D content in VR.
“It is important to build projects that work as virtuous circles, so putting tools like Masterpiece Studio in the hands of the next-generation of artists and designers clearly expands the possibilities for their future work,” says Dr. Westecott.
The nine OCAD U projects chosen by eCampusOntario and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities include new co-curricular and non-credit course offerings, a unique program to decolonize English-language learning, a micro-credential, virtual and extended reality technologies and application, micro-credentials, unique partnerships with the private sector, and capacity-building for online learning.
Through this work, OCAD U will build on its strength in developing new ways to offer outstanding studio-based learning, bringing emerging technology to emerging artists, designers and cultural workers of all kinds and continuing to give students the skills and ability to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
A SUMMARY OF THE OCAD U FUNDED PROJECTS
Arriving at Indigenous Knowledges: Decolonial Approaches for English Language Learners, an online course for domestic and international students to support their English fluency, reduce linguistic and cultural barriers and grow their knowledge of Canadian and Indigenous contexts. Project lead: Phoebe Wang, Writing and Learning Consultant (ELL).
Digital Capacity Building, a multi-faceted initiative that will expand hybrid and online learning across all programs and transform OCAD U curriculum to enable greater access, interdisciplinarity and learner-directed movement through programs. Project lead: Susan Ferguson, Director, Teaching and Learning.
Dobble Debate, an extended reality (XR), universally accessible, serious game promoting discussion of difference, dis- and differing abilities. Project lead: Dr. Lynne Heller, Adjunct Professor.
Entrepreneurship for Creatives Micro-credential Program, a digital certification that offers artists, designers and creatives the competencies and capabilities they need to bring their products and designs to market. Project lead: Emily Krause, Managing Director, OCAD U CO.
Intellectual Property Law for Creative Entrepreneurs Certificate, stackable courses bringing the knowledge and application of intellectual property law to creative professionals. Project Lead: Evan Tapper, Director, Continuing Studies.
Learning to be Human Together, a toolkit of extensible resources to support humanizing learning. Project lead: Dr. Jutta Treviranus, Director, Inclusive Design Research Centre; Professor, Faculty of Design.
Masterpiece Studio and OCAD U, a partnership to develop Masterpiece Studios as a tool to reduce the barriers to creating in virtual reality while also co-designing the tool itself. Project lead: Dr. Emma Westecott, Associate Professor, Game Design, Digital Futures.
Social Media, Democracy and International Human Rights Mobilization, a new online Continuing Studies course designed to help students design pro-creative, pro-democratic responses to the repressions of authoritarian regimes. Project lead: Evan Tapper, Director, Continuing Studies
WebXR Exhibition and Critique Studio, a browser-based XR environment for exhibition and critique of undergraduate and graduate studio projects. Project lead: Judith Doyle, Associate Professor, Integrated Media, Faculty of Art; Co-Principal Investigator, Social Media and Collaboration Lab.
Image credit
Photo at left by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo in the middle by Hammer Tusk on Unsplash
Photo at right by XPS on Unsplash