SCAD-eLearning students gather at Spring Social

Article By: Gina Marshall
Published: May 23, 2008

SCAD-eLearning students are often encouraged to participate in lectures and events online, but recently eLearning students left their typical study environments to come to SCAD-Savannah for the third annual SCAD-eLearning Spring Social April 25.

The event kicked off with a meet-and-greet reception at Smithfield Cottage for students and guests as well as professors, faculty and staff. Conversation topics ranged from experiencing Savannah for the first time to hearty remarks about the eLearning course regime.

Student Nathan Mason from Dalton, Ga., attended with his guest Kim Heath. Mason's undergraduate degree is in music, but he realized his textile design career in a city deemed the "Carpet Capital of the World" could utilize training specific to his niche in the textile industry. Upon a recommendation from a friend who is a SCAD alumnus, Mason decided to pursue an undergraduate certificate in graphic design.

Students traveled from as far as Ocean City, Md., and from nearby Jacksonville, Fla., to attend the social and Sidewalk Arts Festival and to strengthen their connections to SCAD.

Attendee Amy Wood is the owner of MidFin Multimedia in Ocean City, Md. Upon launching Midfin, Wood recognized the potential additional art training could add to her five-year-old web and graphic design studio. She was equipped with a B.S. in mass communication but her prior experience working in a television production studio with SCAD alumni convinced her that an M.A. in graphic design earned via SCAD-eLearning would greatly benefit her company's performance.

"The online program is great and convenient, plus it's SCAD," said Wood. "If clients are impressed, it's all the better for me."

Now, in her second year in the graphic design M.A. program, Wood recognizes SCAD's influence in her designs. "My work shows definite improvement. Graphic design is always a work in progress," she said. "But SCAD shows a formal training that wasn't there before."

Wood said in retrospect her company's portfolio shows significant improvement from her SCAD education, and her clients notice the change as well.

Professionally established students are common to SCAD-eLearning, said Aram Cookson, interactive design and game development professor at SCAD-Savannah and SCAD-eLearning. In addition to meeting students at the social, he had a moment to comment on the differences between eLearning students and students on campus.

"SCAD-eLearning students usually come from professional backgrounds," he said. "It's the difference between a professional eye and a common eye."

It's typical for eLearning students to come from professional backgrounds because usually they choose eLearning for a flexible educational regime to complement a lifestyle they've already established, said Cookson.

For instance, SCAD-eLearning student Sandra Schultz from St. Augustine, Fla., is pursuing her M.F.A. in graphic design after investing 23 years in the design industry. She is a full-time senior graphic designer at Tree of Life, a natural and organic foods company where she designs food packaging and arranges photo shoots. Her company offers up to a $2,000 per year incentive to further her education. She's only three quarters into the program, but describes her classes as "intense, a good challenge and re-inspiring."

"[The graphic design M.F.A. program is] very dedicated," said Schultz. "The online dialogue is so far developed - just fantastic."

Devin Prater also wanted the option to get a degree while continuing his full-time job in marketing and communications in St. Petersburg, Fla. He and his wife Cecilia, who also attended the social, have two children, and Prater needed to further his education without uprooting his family and taking on the burden of selling his house. SCAD-eLearning was a perfect fit; not only did it provide flexibility of location and class hours, but also solidified a quality educational foundation upon which Prater can further his career.


SCAD-eLearning B.A. A Success

Not all students at the Spring Social chose SCAD-eLearning after already establishing a career. Hastings Stiehl began her post-high school educational journey with SCAD-eLearning, her degree as yet undecided. Stiehl said she has always been interested in art, and wanted to learn things she could use. Because her husband is in the military, she lives where he is stationed in Virginia and must be able to relocate quickly if needed. Stiehl has always known she would attend SCAD, and after marriage, realized SCAD-eLearning was the perfect fit for her.

"The interaction is amazing for an online class," she said. Another benefit is she is able to connect with classmates online and learn about people she otherwise would never be able to meet.

Stiehl received a phone call from a professor during the first two weeks of classes. "At first I thought something was wrong, but when I realized he called to discuss a project I was immensely impressed," she said.

SCAD-eLearning professors go to great lengths to make sure students stay connected and on top of their studies. One thing Cookson noticed is that his students have usually taken other classes together, and when they recognize one another conversations are off to a great start. He looks forward to more interaction between students and teachers through Adobe Connect, an online video conferencing system that utilizes webcams so participants can read facial expressions and also allows users to share their desktops, files or a concept that Cookson has previously expressed in writing. Cookson anticipates the program will make critiques easier to explain and questions easier to answer. He plans to use Adobe Connect sessions during his regular office hours.

The meet-and-greet reception was only the beginning of the Spring Social experience for SCAD-eLearning students. Afterward, attendees boarded a SCAD bus to attend a gallery hop of SCAD-Savannah art galleries. The next day included the Sidewalk Arts Festival, where Stiehl participated in creating a sidewalk work of art in Forsyth Park. Also on Saturday, eLearning students joined with staff for a picnic in Forsyth Park. Overall, the event was an excellent opportunity for SCAD-eLearning students to visit SCAD and experience historic Savannah in addition to meeting professors, faculty and staff.

Marshall is content and research specialist for SCAD-eLearning.