Hyper Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hyper Island is a digital media school established in Karlskrona, Sweden, in April 1996, widely known for its graphic design students and partly funded by the new media industry. It is located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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[edit] History
Hyper Island started in 1995 when Jonathan Briggs, David Erixon and Lars Lundh met during a project involving a CD-ROM production. They soon realized the increasing need of a different kind of education involving industry-based learning, for the growing new media industry. Hyper Island's first two-year program started in 1996 with 30 students.
Since the start in 1996, Hyper Islands pedagogic has been successful, and today over 90% of the students with diplomas from Hyper Island works in the industry. Today, Hyper Island mainly runs the two-year programs; ”Hyper Island Digital Media” (90 weeks) and ”Hyper Island Management” (80 weeks). In total over 200 students study full time at Hyper Island each year.
Furthermore, Hyper Island works with leadership, team and individual development towards the industry and the public sector. Hyper Island has also been involved in several exciting external projects, such as setting up a two-year management program in Priština, Kosovo together with the Olof Palme Institute and IPKO Institute.
At present the company has ten employees whose priority is to create a unique learning environment and to manage the team building, course coordination and student development.
Hyper Island is situated in the south east corner of Sweden, in Karlskrona. The town itself is built on 33 islands extending five kilometres out in the archipelago. The town was established in 1680 to take part on the international arena, with military power at forefront. Today Karlskrona is once more in the focus of international attention.
[edit] Location
Hyper Island is located in an old military remand prison, seated less than 50 meters from the Baltic Sea on the small Island Stumholmen. The prison was built in 1910-11. The construction drawings of the military remand prison on the island of Stumholmen was made by F Bothén as late as 1894. A reversed version was made by Sixten C:son Sparre in 1908 but the changes where insignificant. In other words, it was built according to construction drawings which, regarding design and architecture, had not been changed during 70 years. The heating was provided through hot air channels in the walls, a system which at this time must have been as obsolete as the construction drawings of the prison. At first, the building contained 20 cells on the upper floor and 14 on the ground floor. The floors where open in the cell-area to make the supervision easier. Furthermore, there was a barrack room, guardroom, office and a special department with ordinary doors and windows for the gentlemen (officers).
The military remand prison on the island of Stumholmen is one of the most well preserved cell prisons in the country. The close to unchanged interior with individual cells arranged according to the Philadelphia system, open floors and the lantern, gives us a good picture of the conditions inside the remand prison and the disciplinary institutional care. The well-preserved exteriors emphasize the military hierarchy.
After six months of renovation, Hyper Island inaugurated new premises on Stumholmen in January 2004. Previously, this unique building has been used as a large steam central. Today, this is Hyper Islands main premises for lecturers, workshops and other student activities.
[edit] Programs
Hyper Island has been running the 90-week qualified vocational education Digital Media. Well-known magazines such as Creative Review, Computer Arts and New Media Age have been publishing several articles on student projects and Hyper Islands unique educational environment. Hyper Island has also been a case-study for the British Government to advice on future educational systems in the UK. In the year 2000, Hyper Island was appointed as the best Digital Media institution in Sweden by the industry.
Since 2004 Hyper Island is running the two-year advanced vocational program, Hyper Island Management. The program aims to create visionary leaders within small to medium sized companies and organizations, no matter business area.
[edit] Methods
The two programs "Digital Media" (90 weeks) and "Hyper Island Management" (80 weeks) are work-oriented programs. Both programs are linked to the industry and applies teaching and learning approaches that are directly relevant to working life.
The work-education connection is demonstrated within a number of areas; in the construction of projects/courses, in the choice of teaching approaches, physical environment and educational materials, in the design of examinations and in the educational background and experience required of the teachers and trainers. The working life connection is most expressed during a period of placement. This is when the students get the chance to work in a company as a trainee. Instead of a fixed curriculum, the courses revolves around a set of projects created with industry professionals.
The projects start out with different themes, where each theme is explored from several perspectives: design, project management, leadership, branding, marketing, industry- and market issues, programming etc. This gives the students a general picture of the industry and provides a deeper understanding for production processes and general development systems.
[edit] Principles
- Make the learners responsible for their own learning. Learn in groups. Provide resources, support, encouragement and "scaffolding" for learners.
- Build learning around a series of large realistic projects in which groups construct solutions to sizeable problems.
- Bring in industry, academic and international experts to stimulate the learners. Use experts from a wide range of disciplines including some from outside the core curriculum areas (such as architects, town planners and industrial designers) to illustrate how things are done elsewhere.
- Make technology transparent. Immerse the students in a technology rich environment. Teach general IT principles and expect students to master tools and techniques on their own but with the support of structured assignments.
- Encourage the formation of a learning network in which students help each other and become confident experts and colleagues. Help develop problem solving strategies and research techniques. Encourage contact between students from different year groups and between students and lecturers on an ongoing basis.
- Develop critical skills by promoting criticism and review of each other's work. Explore quality, ethical, business and social values through discussion of the impact of projects on individuals, communities and industries.
- Give students the main responsibility for the marketing, promotion and reputation of the School. Build confident, effective communicators through regular presentations and feedback.
- Link studying at the School to a period of professional practice in industry. Maintain the learner network during this internship and after graduation.
- Set high standards for written, examination and creative work and provide feedback, enabling students to learn from mistakes and to improve work. Establish clear learning objectives for each module or project and develop clear criteria for all assessment.
- Review and evolve the education to reflect changing industry, technology and business needs. Involve students, graduates and lectures in the development of the course.
