Directing Technology to Encourage Creativity amongst Digital Arts Practitioners

With the increase of local companies in digital media arts industries [1] and the number of job opportunities within those industries [2], the number of local media arts educational programs is on the rise as well [3]. Students who attend these programs are often expected to master artistic skills within one or two years without any previous experience or knowledge and in this process, they depend heavily on digital technology. A key area of concern focuses on novice digital artists' dependence on technology and the tendency for this dependence to detract from their ability to express artistically, think critically and analytically, and transfer their acquired skills into life/work settings. Maybe one way to address these concerns would be to review the teaching/learning processes, potentially postpone the focus on technology and instead offer an education where learners have the opportunity to develop toward their desired goals while building on their strengths and previously acquired knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to explore how digital media arts students can be supported in their artistic journeys in ways that meet their needs and graduation expectations.