{"id":9278,"date":"2012-08-31T08:30:42","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T12:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.shareaholic.com\/?p=9278"},"modified":"2014-04-07T18:13:14","modified_gmt":"2014-04-07T22:13:14","slug":"10-things-professors-should-teach-in-digital-media-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shareaholic.com\/blog\/10-things-professors-should-teach-in-digital-media-class\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Things Professors Should Teach in Digital Media Class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting back into school mode is tough. After a long summer of internships, waiting on tables, or studying abroad, students might feel overwhelmed in the world of homework, exams and papers.<\/p>\n

For digital media teachers, it’s even more difficult–they have to be the authority on a rapidly-changing industry in a classroom with students who haven’t known the world without the internet. Instead of reading books, students have to subscribe to a RSS reader and Twitter list. Instead of a 20-page paper, teachers require students start a blog. There’s no set\u00a0curriculum, nothing set it stone.<\/p>\n

In honor of the school year beginning, we wanted to open up a dialogue about education and digital media to help professors and students keep on top of what they should be talking about in class. We chatted with a few of our digital media friends and asked them one question: “What do you wish you learned in digital media class?”<\/strong> Here are their answers:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Trisha Mack<\/h3>\n

Trisha Mack<\/a>\u00a0is the Social Media Manager at Wayfair<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Take risks to get noticed. The great thing about social and digital is that everyone has a perspective and you can test and learn very quickly. I think more so in this area it\u2019s important to think out of the box and try new things- this is such an innovative (and for the most part forgiving) channel. It\u2019s a universal lesson for any recent grad to speak up with their ideas but I think recent grabs specifically have great insights on this space coming right out of school.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Miles Branman<\/h3>\n

Miles Branman<\/a>\u00a0is a\u00a0Product Specialist in Client Services\u00a0at\u00a0Crimson Hexagon<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Though college was a great chance to get the basics of digital media, the biggest educational gap dealt with the financial side of new media. How to turn a profit within the digital media industry. Much of my new media education dealt with how to use the tools and to craft an image, but not how revenue is generated (ad, sponsorships, etc) and how digital media\u00a0analytics<\/em>\u00a0can be the greatest argument to corporations that new media HAS an ROI, a big one at that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Peter Stringer<\/h3>\n

Peter Stringer<\/a>\u00a0is the Sr. Director of Interactive Media for the Boston Celtics<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wish every student who wants to work in digital media was a journalism major. Maybe I’m biased, but the basic rules of journalism are critical to anyone who’s going to be a digital media pro: spell names correctly, demand factual accuracy and verify your sources, and don’t plagiarize — this means you, bloggers! Those principles haven’t changed, but the distribution methods and technologies are evolving faster than ever. Journalism isn’t about how to write an article for a newspaper that’s nearly extinct. It’s about how to tell a relevant, balanced and accurate story. That’s a timeless idea, regardless of the medium.<\/p>\n

Expertise in digital media, of course, evolves literally by the day. What’s true of today’s technology may not be true tomorrow. Facebook, Twitter, Google and friends change the rules and capabilities daily, all while constantly raising the stakes. It’s not practical to expect universities to keep their technology curriculum current without instructors who are actively living and breathing this stuff. Students are likely to learn more\u00a0than they’d ever absorb in the confines of the classroom\u00a0by interning with a start-up or tech company, or by simply digging in and immersing themselves on their own time.<\/p>\n

Journalism school used to be the prerequisite for having the power to (mis)inform the masses. The advent of social media certainly decentralized the creation and distribution of information, but that\u00a0democratization\u00a0of influence comes at a heavy price. Forget the pen; the smartphone is now mightier than the sword, especially where it pertains to self-inflicted wounds. Companies and brands must be vigilant and selective when deciding who will brandish their digital media assets. \u00a0A journalism degree, not to mention common sense, would be a logical baseline requirement.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Chris Wilcox<\/h3>\n

Chris Wilcox<\/a>\u00a0is an\u00a0Associate Community Manager at Communispace<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I would have liked to learn more about digital media strategy. In this age, every college student is acquainted with digital media in some capacity \u2013 mostly, knowledge of how to use social media on a personal scale. Being able to take that personal knowledge of digital media and enhance that with in classroom experience with running a digital campaign would be helpful for college students not only for personal growth, but for marketability for a job or internship.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Pam Sahota<\/h3>\n

Pam Sahota<\/a>\u00a0is a Content Strategist at Digitas.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think keeping it relevant to real time and current brand examples and how they’re mastering or failing at digital media is always key. Past examples used in class can be out-dated and less useful at times.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Eric Leist<\/h3>\n

Eric Leist<\/a>\u00a0is a\u00a0Senior Marketing Manager\u00a0at TrueLens<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One thing I wish I learned about digital media was an understanding of software development cycles. Knowing about the process by which the technology that powers media is built gives you an understanding of why certain tools work the way they do. That knowledge makes it easier to answer questions from clients and colleagues who are less digital-savvy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Zach Cole<\/h3>\n

Zach Cole<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0the Director of Strategy at Attention Span Media.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wish that we had been taught basic HTML and CSS. Knowing basic front-end code helps as a digital marketer with everything from content creation (websites and blogs) to SEO. I know many students simply had to teach this to themselves, which works in the end, but a classroom could speed up the process. I also wish\u00a0we had been taught more about analytics. Granted at the time, social media analytics were (and to this day, still are) evolving as marketers try to determine which metrics are most valuable. But again here I was forced to take it upon myself to learn Google Analytics, which is an must-know for any digital marketer.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Kristin Dziadul<\/h3>\n

Kristin Dziadul<\/a>\u00a0is the Marketing Analyst for Backupify<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A few of the things I wish digital media classes covered include:<\/p>\n