Reflection

The digital media course was precisely what I expected. The interesting and informative lecture classes, hands-on lab classes, with easy to follow tutorials and the creative projects, allowed for a great semester.
The lecture classes were very informative and provided myself with excellent background information about the programs and history of digital media. I think the use of the lecture classes was very important through the semester. I believe this because the classes built a knowledge of facts to coincide with the use of the program.
Lab class always seemed to challenge my creativity and put to use my technology apt skills. I found that the hardest part for my lab projects was finding my inspiration. I find myself scared to create new ideas and projects, but this class really pushed me to think “outside the box”.
I loved seeing and everyone finished projects. The pride, and relief of having finished each project always allowed for an interesting critique class. The passion each of my peers had dedicated to each project was very motivating to want to do well.
I do wish we had received marked rubrics and constructive criticism earlier from each of our final assignments. To not have any feedback to apply to the next project was difficult because I was not able to improve on those things that needed developing. I find that I personally take marks very subjectively, as the projects seem to be marked subjectively as well. To once have loved Flash and to have enjoyed spending hours creating an animation, only to receive a below average mark, with no rubric has created a once loved program to one of displease. I hobby making animations and editing photographs, and take much pride in every one of my final projects, because, I believe they were completed with enthusiasm and whole-heartedly. It is hard to see a project you are completely proud of, be under appreciated from someone who is supposed to encourage a career in Digital Media.
That expressed, I have loved working on each project. My understanding of each program was re-enforced through the tutorials and assignments.
The most important thing I am taking away from this course was that technology doesn’t always co-operate the way you want it too. There is no way to tell the computer exactly “I want this shade of pink,” or “I want this movement”, but there is ways to problem solve technology by practice of the program or forwarding or undoing and digging through each action. It took much practice and experimenting to get Photoshop filters to work the way I wanted, or movements in Flash to happen perfectly. At least there is an “undo” key.