Professional Masters
employer engagement and
curriculum development in
games and digital arts
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Curriculum Development:
Responding to industry demand
I - Specialist role in large organisation
T – Adaptable role in SME
M – Full Stack Developer
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Academy and Industry
Industrial relations
“Luck is what happens when
preparation meets opportunity”
Lee Trevino (n.d.)
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Communities of Practice
“Skillset should work with the UK
Centre for Excellence in Computer
Games Education at Abertay University
to develop a template for introducing
credit bearing workplace simulation into
other specialist video games and visual
effects courses in the UK”
Ian Livingston OBE (2010) Next Gen Report
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Proximity to Expertise
- Access to industry tool and techniques
- Access to professional knowledge and
expertise
- Exposure to industry standard processes
and procedures
- Support for innovation and enterprise
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Observability
“Don’t tell me, show me!”
- Recruitment is the industry’s biggest risk
- Close engagement in context
- External evidence of quality
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Employer engagement and curriculum development
in games and digital arts
Outcomes…
- High levels of graduate employment in
the sector ~ 100%
- Strong career progression
- High levels of studio start-up
- Resilience of local cluster
- Research impact….
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk
Professional Masters
employer engagement and
curriculum development in
games and digital arts
Professor Gregor White
Head of School of Arts, Media and Computer Games
abertay.ac.uk