University News
New Minor, Courses in ITT Give Students More Options
September 8, 2005
MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University’s instructional technology and telecommunications (ITT) program could very well be honing the skills of the next Ansel Adams and Walt Disney.
Exciting changes in the program began with the start of the Fall 2005 semester, said ITT Department Chair Hoyt Hemphill. A course in 3-D modeling and animation has been added to the roster and a new minor in photographic media through ITT has been added to Western’s core list of minors. According to Hemphill, “photographic media is not a common minor to be found on college campuses.”
“Our department has the only darkroom facility on campus and we offer our students a high-end digital scanning system. Our minor combines the best of both worlds for our students: they get the high-tech electronic imaging experience coupled with the traditional photography experience,” Hemphill pointed out. “With our advanced darkroom techniques and large format capabilities, we provide good preparation for those students who wish to become commercial photographers.”
WesternÂ’s ITT program, which is the only program in the state and one of only 10 in the country, can also boast to being the first ITT program in the nation, Hemphill said. The program began in 1996 and in just nine years has more than tripled its student enrollment.
“We provide our students with courses in Photoshop, Director, Authorware, Lectora, Strata 3D, virtual reality applications and many tools and technologies. The new 3-D modeling and animation course is really exciting and provides yet another area of expertise for our students. Recent interviews with potential employers, trade journals and faculty observations all indicated the increased need for 3-D modeling and animation skills,” he added.
The electronic imaging minor has been renamed electronic media to better reflect the variety of courses, such as instructional video, 3-D animation and digital imagery, in the minor. This minor also complements several other majors on campus, such as journalism, art, graphic communication and marketing.
“The demand for ITT graduates is growing and the requests for interns increases each year,” Hemphill said. “And while our students are enrolled, people both on and off campus can benefit from the skills they are learning. For instance, a recent graduate student produced a recruitment video for the kinesiology department.
“The field and the need for trained people is constantly growing. As new industries expand, such as the medical care and computer technology fields, there will be an increased need for trained personnel to develop multimedia and online instructional materials and training,” he added. “Many of our alumni have gone on to Tellabs, John Deere, MGM Studios and other leading companies and higher education institutions.”
Students graduating from Western with a degree in instructional technology and telecommunications need to look no further than their alma mater for an ITT master’s degree. Besides offering courses on campus, Western’s ITT program is one of the few instructional technology programs at an accreditated “brick and mortar” university that can be completed online, Hemphill said.
“Our graduate courses are designed for students to attend either during weekend academies on campus and partially online or completely online,” he explained. “This format makes it an extremely efficient and attractive degree program, particularly for those who work full-time.”
For more information on WesternÂ’s ITT programs and minors, contact the department at 309/298-1952 or visit www.wiu.edu/itt.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
Connect with us: