Monash's Multimedia students help update www.Olympics.com

19 September 2000

Following a request from SOCOG to Monash Information Technology Dean, Professor John Rosenberg, some eighteen IT students undertaking Monash's Bachelor of Multimedia programme have been sent to Sydney to assist in updating the official Olympics website.

The students are mainly third year students. During their time in Sydney they will be maintaining and updating the official website, http://www.olympics.com, working as associate producers alongside IT staff and producers from Gadfly Media, the content managers for the official Olympics site.

Essentially the students will be incorporating the latest news, photographic and audio-visual images into the website.

Professor Rosenberg said: "We are happy to be able to assist SOCOG. In particular we are grateful for the opportunity it has given our students to showcase their skills. The fact that we were asked to assist is a solid endorsement of the calibre of our multimedia students and the standing of the programme that which has produced them. Their involvement will act as a window to the world of the capabilities of Monash's multimedia students."

Coordinator of the Bachelor of Multimedia, Dr Kathy Blashki expects to lose more than a few of the contingent sent to Sydney: "I wouldn't be surprised many of our students don't return and are snapped up by the people that they are working with. The reality is that there is such strong demand for our multimedia students that we are already having trouble keeping them before they finish their degrees. Our experience has been that the employers who are given the chance to sample their skills are just not prepared to let them walk away," said Dr Blashki.

Ben Crawford, Executive Producer of www.olympics.com said, "The Monash students are proving to be a real asset because they have a unique combination of technical skills as well as the ability to rapidly adapt to real industry conditions."

Kathy Blashki believes that this results in part from the studio teaching environment that fosters adaptability, flexibility and outstanding group skills.

"The Monash Multimedia degree differs from anything offered elsewhere in its emphasis on the integration of technical and design skills as well as an approach to independence of learning. Its very exciting that our students have been chosen out of all the Australian Universities. Our students are designers as well as IT professionals and are able to create an entire website," she said.

For more Information Contact:
Prof John Rosenberg (03) 9903 2406, johnr@infotech.monash.edu.au or mobile 0418 253001.