In an Australian first for digital literacy Swinburne University has achieved a status shared by an exclusive group of global peers.
On Wednesday, Swinburne announced it will be the first university in Australia to achieve Adobe Creative Campus status, joining an exclusive group of approximately 20 universities and colleges across the United States and South Korea.
Being a Creative Campus means that from late November 2019, all Swinburne students will have full access on all devices to Adobe Creative Cloud - a collection of the world’s best applications and services used for graphic design, video editing, web development and photography.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Duncan Bentley said Swinburne’s approach to digital literacies ensures that students are provided with the awareness, abilities and confidence to use digital technologies to work with data and content, and to create, problem solve and communicate effectively.
“Being an Adobe Creative Campus will enable students to excel in digital literacy and enhance their employability with fundamental skills, essential for participation in the future of work,” Professor Bentley said.
“Graduates and employees require digital skills to be productive in the workforce of the future and aligned to the growing digital economy and society.”
Professor Bentley said the partnership with Adobe supports Swinburne’s technological focus and commitment to preparing future-ready graduates.
“Adobe tools will support the transformation of Swinburne’s learning, teaching and assessment with more creative and engaging approaches,” he said.
The Australian Industry Group’s Workforce Development Needs Survey Report has highlighted digital literacies as an essential foundational skill as businesses adapt to new technologies and digitally enabled environments.
Australian Industry Group chief executive, Innes Willox, said that as businesses adapt to new digital technologies they are facing new demands on their workforce capabilities and cultures.
“The education sector must adapt quickly to the changing needs of the digital economy to ensure graduate employability and successful, future-focused businesses,” Willox said.
“The partnership between industry and education is more important than ever. Swinburne achieving Adobe Creative Campus status and its focus on digital literacies provides its students with a pathway to the skills they need for their careers and the graduates businesses need for their successful future.”
Digital literacy capabilities will be embedded within Swinburne courses, including innovations to learning activities and assessment tasks enabled through Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Visual, audio and animation skills will be developed to advance students’ creative and persuasive digital communications expertise.
Associate Professor Sandra Luxton’s students in Swinburne’s Faculty of Business and Law will use the Adobe Creative Cloud to enable innovations in assessment practices.
She said Swinburne’s digital literacies program and the Adobe Creative Campus will support the transformation of learning and assessment through the use of innovative video, audio and digital presentation formats.
“This enriches our students’ academic experience and prepares them with digital skills and confidence for the future workforce,” Professor Luxton said.
“A Digital Literacies Hub will be constructed in the library precinct for staff and students to access one-on-one training in Adobe products from student digital coaches.”
Professor Bentley said Swinburne has a key focus on technology, innovation, digital literacy and the future of work with its expertise in the fourth industrial revolution and rapid technological change.
“This partnership with Adobe will enrich Swinburne’s digital offerings, ensuring students are job-ready and equipped for the workforce of the future,” he said.
Adobe is supporting the appointment of a professorial position to lead scholarship, research and innovation in digital literacies education, complementing other specialist centres at Swinburne including the Data for Social Good Cloud Innovation Centre and the Centre for the New Workforce.
Managing Director of Adobe Australia and New Zealand, Suzanne Steele, said the technology company recognises the value of teaching digital literacy skills in higher education by preparing students for success in the classroom and in the modern economy.
“By collaborating with institutions around the world that align on similar student outcomes through Adobe Creative Campus, Swinburne serves as an example to other academic leaders that are looking to transform education and drive innovation,” Steele said.