18/05/2010

Please tell us a bit about West Nottinghamshire College

As one of the largest College in the UK, West Nottinghamshire College (WNC) provides for 25,000 students and is ranked in the top 10% of colleges in the country. In July 2008, the college was awarded “outstanding” by Ofsted and received the “Beacon College” status in 2009. It has been placed 14th in the The Sunday Times 75 Best Places to Work in the Public Sector 2010 listing – making it the highest-placed organisation in the East Midlands. The college’s school of creative arts provides students with opportunities to develop their potential through a range of specialist vocational courses at a variety of levels. Students can embark on subjects such as music, performing arts, design and media, fashion, photography, film and television, graphic design, ceramics or general art and design. They have access to industry-standard facilities.

When did you start teaching LightWave 3D?

About four years ago we began to teach LightWave 7. It was still a great product back then, but obviously it’s developed so much into the 9.6 edition we use now. There are much more features and functionalities now. We started teaching just one class of 18 students on the BTEC National Diploma Interactive Media. They learnt LightWave 3D® techniques through one unit per week which helped them learn the skills for 3D modeling.

What Levels do you teach?

Now, I teach one National Diploma class and a Higher National Diploma class the LightWave 3D® studies. They learn about 3D modeling, 2, 3 and 4D technology and animation techniques incorporating LightWave 3D®. It is one of our most popular units taught within the creative arts. The average age of our learners is between the ages of 16 and 19 although some are over 19 on the HND. I find that most students pick up LightWave training with ease and great enthusiasm. Ten out of 14 students on the National Diploma interactive media have chosen to use LightWave 3D® as part of their final major projects.

They really are innovative and creative with their uses of LightWave and I have found that once sparked, their imaginations grow as they realize the potential that LightWave has for producing creative and unique designs..

Where did the idea of teaching Lightwave at West Nottinghamshire College come from?

At the college, the design team realized that 3D was going to be the next big thing. We commissioned a man to train around six members of staff on LightWave 3D. After the training, two of the staff – including myself - began to take the skills further. We had thought of studying other software packages, but LightWave seemed to be the one we really wanted. We agreed to learn more about it and took up the challenge to carry on and learn more before we delivered the training to students. I really am self-taught after that initial introductory training. I soon realized that it wasn’t a chore to learn more. I was really enjoying learning. It’s exciting and I have spent a lot of time researching what LightWave can do. My manager has been very flexible in allowing me time to research and I’ve written over 60 tutorials and handouts for students.

What qualifications did you need to teach LightWave 3D®?

I didn’t need any formal training as such. I just needed to have good knowledge and use of LightWave myself and to know how to deliver a lesson to at least Level 3. In the last three years, my own teaching skills have developed massively and I love it. For the college to become an accredited training centre we’ve had to prove that we’d used the last five versions of LightWave and show our tutorials and detail how we are delivering it.

What is the objective of the LightWave 3D® course at WNC?

As LightWave training is part of just one unit criteria within the BTEC qualification, we have to ensure that we deliver it in a certain way. We must ensure that the student understands the concepts and principals of 3D, is able to generate ideas for planned 3D animation, can produce 3D models and animation and can reflect upon 3D animation work. These are the learning outcomes. From that initial project, I have to equip the students with the skills to take that knowledge forward. Personally, the outcomes that I look for in the students are pure inspiration and engrossment in the subject - to enjoy what they’re doing and to get excited about this software just as I do.