Academy for Creative Technologies (ACT): An Interdisciplinary Interactive Multimedia Studies Program

Pasadena City College (PCC) will develop and implement an associate degree program to educate multimedia technicians. This program will be built upon a sound theory base consisting of the sciences, arts, and computer technology to provide the core curriculum upon which technical skills are developed and will emphasize twenty-first century workplace skills such as those outlined in the SCANS recommendations. Program development will be industry driven and involve a variety of "real world" industry experiences--including an intensive internship experience and a culminating interdisciplinary project where teams of students work with faculty in a variety of disciplines to develop a multimedia product for instructional use. This program will also include articulated curriculum development with high schools and four-year colleges. Objectives for this project are to: (I) Improve the quality and quantity of technicians educated for careers in advanced multimedia technologies; (2) Increase the involvement of the multimedia industry in preparing multimedia technicians; (3) Increase the use and development of multimedia as an instructional tool by high school and college faculty in a variety of disciplines; and (4) Increase the opportunities for students to experience a seamless articulated multimedia technical education from high school through community college to four-year colleges and/or the workplace.