Making it professionally: student identity and industry professionals in higher education

Ashton, D (2009) 'Making it professionally: student identity and industry professionals in higher education.' Journal of Education and Work, 22 (4). pp. 283-300. ISSN 1363-9080

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13639080903290439

Abstract

Addressing connections between higher education and ‘industry’ framed by UK government creative industries strategies, this article draws on research with games design students to explore their transition from being a student to being ‘industry‐ready’. The article introduces broader currents within higher education around personal development and possessing the right skills, and addresses how these emerge through collaboration with industry. These transformations are part of a process of ‘becoming’ in which students are presented with a diverse range of ways to prepare themselves. Focusing on how students negotiate aspects of their identity in becoming industry‐ready, the article outlines and compares the influence of ‘celebrity’ designers and industry professionals involved in higher education. Beyond the imparting of information, the article points to the values and ways of being industry professionals present, how these are engaged with by students, and issues around making both games and the self ‘more professional’.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: student identity, games design, industry‐ready
Divisions: Bath School of Art, Film and Media
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080903290439
Date Deposited: 01 Feb 2013 13:49
Last Modified: 27 Oct 2022 14:45
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/582
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