Online Conference on
Learning and Teaching with Technology
in Art Design and Communication
DeL Online March 2006: speakers: Rick Bennett
Rick Bennett
The Omnium Project: Establishing Solely Online Educational Communities in the Visual Arts
Creative practice has arguably undergone notable transformation over the last decade; from a predominantly singular and private activity, to one that encourages notions of the collective and shared collaborative working processes. The traditional creative process, seen as an individual’s reflective dialogue with their own work, no longer seems solely applicable in contemporary visual arts education and practice. However, such practice remains difficult to achieve when collaboration is required to take place between geographically distanced partners and working teams.
Founded in 1998, as an ongoing educational and creative research initiative, The Omnium Project has undertaken numerous online creative projects on a global scale aimed at resolving specific difficulties faced by visual artists and designers who wish to work collaboratively, but whose physical locations and cultural backgrounds are distanced and diverse.
Omnium’s research has identified the need for a two-part framework to achieve any degree of effective online collaboration & creativity (OCC). Its framework offers a five-stage online collaborative and creative process for students, educators, theorists and professional practitioners, as well as a specifically designed web-based environment (software) to undertake solely online interaction. This paper details Omnium’s (OCC) framework and its application through a series of case studies and evaluations.
Biography
In 1993, Rick Bennett began teaching within the School of Design Studies at the
College of Fine Arts (COFA), at the University of New South Wales (UNSW),
Sydney, Australia. The last five years have seen dramatic changes to his academic
responsibilities: from coordinator of the first year Bachelor of Design program
to directing research into the Internet and possibilities it holds for collaboration
across distance for [art and design] education and professional practice.
In 1998, having completed his Masters degree in Higher Education, Rick founded The Omnium Project: an ongoing research initiative investigating online collaboration within the visual arts. In 2001, as a result of achievements in this area, Rick was awarded the first UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence Using Educational Technology and subsequently nominated for the Australian Prime Minister’s Teaching Award.
In 2002, Rick was appointed Head of COFA Online: a newly formed academic unit at UNSW established to design, produce and facilitate a suite of online courses across a range of art and design disciplines.
Rick's ongoing research has since seen him direct a number of international online design courses and projects and led to the The Omnium Project being awarded significant funding through a three-year Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant for 2004 – 2006. The most recent project as part of this grant is Creative Waves: a project linking photomedia and graphic design students, educators, writers and professionals from around the globe, produced in collaboration with ICOGRADA (International Council of Graphic Design Associations). He is also currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Sydney, titled ‘Drawing on The Virtual Collective’: Formalising a Framework for Online Collaboration and Creativity in the Visual Arts.
For more detailed information: visit the The Omnium Project website: http://www.omnium.edu.au
Rick Bennett
Senior Lecturer
School of Design Studies
College of Fine Arts (COFA)
The University of New South Wales
Sydney
Australia
Tel: +61 2 93850683
Fax: +61 2 93850694
Email: rick@unsw.edu.au
Web: www.omnium.edu.au & www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/online
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