Program Outcomes

• The principal objective of the Interactive Media program is to produce professionals who can design, implement, produce and manage interactive media initiatives. All graduates will have the ability to use interactive media tools to achieve specific professional tasks, and work as ethical collaborators and leaders of interactive projects. The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) accrediting standards are the guiding principles of the following outcomes.
• Upon completion of the Interactive Media program:
• Truth, accuracy, and fairness: Students will be able to articulate the value of truth, accuracy, and fairness in the design and production of interactive media; describe the importance of access to information to ensure these values; and apply these values in the discipline and professions.
• Freedom of expression: Students will be able to describe the essential elements of free expression that pertain to interactive media in global contexts, such as copyright and censorship.
• Ethical ways of reasoning: Students will be able to describe the philosophical underpinnings of ethical decision-making, recognize the symbiosis between law and ethics, and apply ethical principles to professional issues.
• History and roles of interactive media in society: Students will be able to describe important milestones in the multicultural history of interactive media and analyze the roles and impacts of interactive media on U.S. society.
• Domestic and global diversity: Students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of and ability to communicate across difference. Students will be able to recognize the consequences of digital divides and be able to work with and advocate for diverse and inclusive teams.
• Write and speak clearly and effectively: Students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in grammar, spelling, mechanics, and organization; and write and speak with accuracy, clarity, cultural proficiency, and style for different audiences across scholarly and professional contexts.
• Employ the tools of today’s technology: Students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in using interactive media tools and technologies to design and produce interactive media content.
• Use theory to design and produce interactive media: Students will be able to identify and demonstrate theories, concepts and aesthetic principles that guide the creation of interactive content and the presentation of images and information.
• Engage in research and analysis: Students will be able to identify the fundamental attributes of qualitative and quantitative research methods; be able to evaluate the usefulness of primary and secondary sources; and apply these concepts to research appropriate to interactive media projects, such as user testing.
• Apply numerical concepts: Students will be able to understand how data inform interactive strategies; and apply numerical concepts to design and evaluate interactive media projects.
• Demonstrate creative and critical thinking: Students will be able to identify creative elements and processes used in interactive media design; and analyze social and interactive phenomena to draw rational conclusions.
• Contribute to knowledge: Students will be able to develop interactive media projects that provide information and ideas that contribute to knowledge and promote the public good; and communicate insights to scholarly and professional audiences.
• Address the public good: Students will be able to determine the needs of an authentic community, and design and create appropriate interactive media to maximize benefit for the public good.