Internet and Multimedia Technology (I/MMT): Curriculum, Faculty, and Workforce Development

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Internet and multimedia technologies are at the core of radical changes in many fields, including communications, business, entertainment, education, and art. To address the shortage of well-educated workers in this field, the Community College of Baltimore County is implementing new Certificate and Associate degree programs with Internet and Multimedia Technology tracks. The programs prepares students for entry-level employment, provides opportunities for workers to upgrade or acquire technical skills, and prepares students for further education in articulated four-year programs. Project faculty obtain professional development through further graduate studies in this field. Students in the new program are immersed in a rich information technology environment for general education courses as well as for their major field. To this end, a multimedia laboratory is being created and laboratory manuals are being developed for courses in the new program. Partnerships with business and educational institutions, including Skyline Network Technologies, GR8 Integrated Marketing Communications and Design, and Science Applications International Corporation, provide internships and cooperative-education opportunities for students and faculty. Annually, an Internet and Multimedia Conference brings together secondary teachers and faculty from two- and four-year colleges educating students for this field. An articulated curriculum to prepare highly-skilled Internet and multimedia technicians with the necessary foundation in mathematics, science, and written and oral communications is being developed over a two-year period with Baltimore area high schools. Local four-year institutions, including some with predominantly female or minority populations, are participating in cooperative arrangements to facilitate the transfer of students from this innovative program. The University of Baltimore, College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Towson University, and Bowie State University are among the institutions developing these unique articulation agreements.