Impactful mentorship
Throughout the Digital Arts and Sciences program, Silvey met with Brown weekly for guidance on his final project. Silvey looked forward to their weekly meetings, always seeking advice and constructive feedback from his mentor.
“I wanted to hear what he thought of what I had and what I could do differently, and also what my strengths and weaknesses were,” Silvey said.
This mentorship empowered Silvey to win the Outstanding Achievement in Experience Design and Production award for his final project, which Silvey believes was heavily influenced by his meetings with Brown. The final project course, Senior Project in DAS, has received a “High Quality” designation from UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence – an accolade that highlights the course’s exceptional design and its focus on projects aimed at ensuring student success after graduation.
Silvey found that many of the projects he created in the Digital Arts and Sciences program were not for a grade but to ultimately build a portfolio for his future career. Silvey’s portfolio class taught him how to collect and showcase finished projects for future employers, giving him the opportunity to polish the demo reels he made during his time at UF.
Brown enjoyed witnessing Silvey’s upward progression throughout the program, which was propelled by Silvey’s hard work and dedication. As the program grows, Brown is focused on identifying and nurturing career aspirations earlier in students’ educational journeys.
Teaching one of the earliest as well as one of the last required digital arts courses in the program allows Brown to track student progress from start to finish, helping more students like Silvey prepare to pursue their dream jobs after graduation.
“I love to empower Jacob and other students,” Brown said. “I think, online, you must choose the way you want this program to work for you. As an online student, you must be more intentional, and there’s a very strong intentionality to build a relationship with your instructors and your mentors. Once that is built, the sky’s the limit as far as where it can go after that.”
Improving online education
Brown currently teaches six online courses in the Digital Arts and Sciences program, including Advanced Design and Production Studio (DIG 4552), Undergraduate Research Forum (DIG 4841), Motion Design (DIG 4184) in-person and online, Senior Project in DAS (DIG 4970) in-person and online, Principles of Digital Visualization (DIG 2121) in-person and online, and Production Practicum (DIG 4944).
Production Practicum is the program’s most versatile course – a client-based, collaborative project for which Brown builds relationships with potential clients and employers who have specific project needs. Brown’s students in this class are currently collaborating with the University Athletic Association and the football team, doing virtual production for Gator Sports.
The Digital Arts and Sciences program constantly explores and incorporates new technology to create better online learning experiences for students and instructors. Because technology is ever-evolving, faculty members frequently evaluate the best practices and methods in their coursework. The introduction of artificial intelligence has also encouraged instructors to consider new ways of reinventing online learning.
Brown currently teaches an online course in which the navigation is structured like a video game, inspired by the class formats of UF Digital Worlds Institute interim director Tim Difato and lecturer George Heitzman. Brown’s hands-on courses require creative tech solutions, including real-time learning, engineering, and 360° videos that offer interactive experiences remotely.
Brown’s goal is to provide online students with remote control of the program’s physical studio. For example, in a virtual production studio, one student can adjust the background remotely while another student handles the set design onsite. This hybrid collaboration blends technology with physical presence, and the program is close to implementing the concept in the classroom.
Silvey believes UF Online’s innovative approach to Digital Arts and Sciences education – with its new and emerging practices – prepares students to be successful after graduation.
“It’s been a great journey,” Silvey said. “But there’s still so much more left. My dream job is to be a virtual production director. I’m already in the environment where the roadmap to have that dream job is right there.”