4IR, the photographic curriculum and the South African higher educational context: A case study
| Author | Institution |
|---|---|
| Doman, Jakob A. | Vaal University of Technology |
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From inception, the Camera Picture, being a technological medium, has been inherently in a volatile relationship with innovation that required a constant re-structuring of the academic curriculum in the formal education of the practitioner to embrace the possibilities offered through new imaging technologies, a process which occurred over a period of decades, sufficient time to adapt and engage in a meaningful manner with the discourse of both making and teaching.
Then, seemingly as if all at once, the disruptive technological Digital Still|Motion Camera (DSMC) and Media Convergence created an apocalyptic watershed, the 4IR of the Camera Picture, which meant that what was known became obsolete almost overnight and the educational programme taught either embraced the possibilities on offer through 4IR or persisted with the structures in hand, facing an uncertain future, at best, not only within the educational context but in the professional arena as well.
As it stood, innovation and adaptation of the academic curriculum through strategic analysis combined with phased curricular implementation has always been at the core of the educational programme to ensure the vocational relevance.
However, re-curriculation is never a rash or quick decision.
Rather, it is a natural evolution and the outcome of years of academic struggle, of programme content development and testing, technological engagement and critical reflection on educational outcomes – all in the midst of socio-political, financial and academic pressures encountered at the Institution.
Consequently, in this working paper, a narrative case study is presented wherein the evolution of the Camera Picture as vocational academic programme taught at a South African higher education institution is described and contextualised as it responded to the challenges encountered, both inherent to African educational context and those from arising from 4IR, allowing for “the time to pause, reflect and engage in meaningful conversation” (Schwab, 2016) on the nature of this change through the lens of the practitioner as educator.
