RMIT Vietnam's pioneering course wins three platinum LearnX Awards

RMIT Vietnam's pioneering course wins three platinum LearnX Awards

The Photography 101 course has transitioned to a fully asynchronous model, addressing long-standing teaching challenges, and gaining recognition at a prestigious educational award.

As an elective subject serving close to 600 students annually, Photography 101 faced unique challenges in its traditional format. The course attracted a diverse student body from business, STEM, and creative disciplines, creating significant skill gaps that made traditional classroom teaching ineffective. The traditional setting also posed cultural challenges, as Vietnamese students hesitated to share their work or provide peer critiques in class. Consequently, students sought feedback during private meetings with lecturers towards the end of semester. This limited opportunities for peer learning and development, hindered meaningful improvement, and placed great demand on teachers’ time.

Breaking traditional boundaries in creative education

Teaching staff and the Learning Design team collaborated using iterative, backward design and constructive alignment principles to co-design the course. 

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'news-1-photography-101' The interactive interface enhances learning experiences by engaging users in dynamic and immersive activities.

“This method ensured that every aspect of the course was centred around clear learning outcomes and assessments, creating a cohesive learning journey aligned with RMIT’s focus on sustainability and innovation,” said Sasha Stubbs, Manager of Learning Design at RMIT Vietnam.

Senior Learning Designer Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Uyen explained: “The redesign followed a three-phase model: Discover, Design, and Deliver. This structured approach facilitated effective collaboration between the academic team and learning designers, ensuring the course was both pedagogically sound and technologically innovative.”

A key innovation of the course was the integration of high-quality video content that allowed students to witness professional photographers in action on location, something that is not possible in the traditional classroom environment. These professionally produced videos provided students with immersive learning experiences, showcasing real-world photography techniques, equipment handling and creative decision-making across different settings.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'news-2-photography-101' A professional photographer guides students on setting up their cameras for early morning shots through high-quality videos.

The course further enhanced its practical learning experience through a strategic partnership with Sony, providing students access to professional-grade equipment demonstrations.

The transitioned course offered a fully online, well-structured, interactive, and media-rich learning experience suitable for all skill levels and backgrounds, leading to high engagement, improved the quality and diversity of student work, and enhanced digital literacy skills among students, resulting in a rich overall outcome.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'news-3-photography-101' The asynchronous format boosts student engagement and fosters peer critiques.

One of the most significant achievements has been overcoming traditional cultural barriers in Vietnamese education. The asynchronous format has created a comfortable environment for students to share their work and engage in peer critiques, essential components of creative development that were previously challenging to facilitate.

The impact of this innovative approach is evident in the unprecedented levels of student engagement. Course analytics reveal an average of 150 page views per student per week, with peak periods reaching 260 views. Beyond these numbers, instructors have noted a substantial increase in work sharing and peer feedback, alongside marked improvements in the quality and diversity of student photography submissions. The flexible format has maintained consistent student participation throughout the semester, addressing previous challenges of declining attendance.

Huynh Kim Ngoc, student from Bachelor of Design Studies program, was pleased with the overall learning experience.

“The course was well-structured, and I especially appreciated how each module introduced new techniques, followed by opportunities to practice them,” Ngoc said.

“One aspect that stood out was the detailed, thoughtful, and inspiring feedback I received for each assignment. The lecturers provided prompt and constructive advice, which kept me motivated and made the learning process smoother by addressing any doubts or questions in real time, making the course feel interactive and supportive.

“Furthermore, studying asynchronously was beneficial because it gave me the flexibility to pace my learning around other commitments, which helped me stay engaged.”

Interim Associate Program Manager of Digital Media, Mr Christian Berg highlighted the benefits of asynchronous delivery, stating that it "gives students agency to self-explore and connect with lecturers when needed."

He explained that this approach closely mirrors real-world work experiences, where instead of having a teacher simply tell us what to do, "we discover things on our own and seek feedback from mentors and peers when necessary. However, to succeed in the workplace, a certain level of self-motivation and initiative is essential.”

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'news-4-photography-101' (L-R) Interim Associate Program Manager of the Bachelor of Digital Media Christian Berg, Senior Learning Designer Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Uyen and Learning Design Manager Sasha Stubbs at the 2024 LearnX Award ceremony

The course won three LearnX Platinum awards and was presented at prestigious conferences, including the ASCILITE Conference in New Zealand and the Digitally Engaged Learning Conference in Singapore. The project also secured a 2023 Adobe X Creative Curriculum grant, highlighting its innovative approach to creative education.

Associate Professor Donna Cleveland, Interim Dean of the School of Communication & Design said the redesign of Photography 101 exemplified a collaborative and innovative approach to digitally enhancing course delivery. “By transitioning to a fully asynchronous delivery model, this joint effort not only optimised resource use but also created a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages sharing and critique, essential for developing skills in creative disciplines.

“This redesign showcases a non-homogenised approach to course uplift, reflecting the future of pedagogy where digital enhancements are tailored to the unique needs of each course. The impact extends beyond the school, setting a benchmark for innovative and flexible learning models that can be adapted across diverse educational contexts, aligning with RMIT's commitment to flexible student-centred learning models that support active, authentic, and applied learning.” 

Story: Ha Hoang

12 December 2024
Engage

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