Stakeholder newsletter: October 2006
The 5 Minute Interview

David Sowden
Lecturer, Practitioner & Examiner

How did you start out in IT and digital media?
With a background in Fine Art Sculpture, Experimental and Environmental Media and the use of technology as a creative tool in the late 70s, I logically came across computers - expensive, slow, strange beasts that required you to learn new languages.  They allowed me to experiment in the simple creation of three dimensional wire frame images.

Taking qualifications in CAD in the late 80s, I became still more interested.  This steered me into the position of Head of Department in Technology and Engineering; working on the creation of animated virtual worlds. It was not long before virtual learning environments appeared allowing students to access these new virtual worlds.

What have you been doing in recent years?
In 2003 I became an ILT Development Manager and then moved on to become a ‘Centre of Vocational Excellence in ICT’ Manager, organising the delivery of over 1000 specialised ICT learning opportunities in the North Yorkshire region in the last three years.

Why Yorkshire & Humber?
I could say things like ‘It’s Gods County’, also I’ve heard that ‘A day away from Yorkshire is a day wasted!’  But I do believe that Yorkshire and Humber has so much to offer – quality of life, interesting people with a vast diversity of skills and knowledge. I know that with the drive in the region Yorkshire and Humber has the potential to be world class.

What challenges are still to come?
Crystal-ball-gazing is not a skill I have and in the area of IT and Technology it is so difficult as I believe the best way to predict the future is to make it, but I think the challenges are about communication over the next few years and the capacity to access information anytime, anywhere with a range of hardware. 

I am at present working on a system that will guide learners, users, employers etc., through the ‘jumble’ of the vast range of qualifications that are available. The difficulties are to make it accessible to all, to give the right level of information to any individual user, and to make it an enjoyable system to use.

As an examiner in digital media, do you have any observations on the ‘state of the nation’?
There are cases of candidates showing great expertise, but the’ playing field’ is nowhere near level. It is so dependant on the staff/tutor skills and knowledge, the access to hardware/software the candidate has, the capacity of the institution and the level of extra commitment the candidate is willing to give.  I have been in discussions with an awarding body concerning the lack of real progress in this direction. I am very aware that it is very difficult to keep pace with the technological developments in this field – one year it could take hours and expertise with specialist professional software packages and the next it is fully automated and required little real knowledge or skill. What does not change is the creative quality.  I have been looking into the philosophy behind the numerous Applied Digital Media type Degrees that have appeared recently, and how to develop realistic progression pathways.