Guess what happened to me on Tuesday? i was reminding my second-semester class how to import images into Flash, and i hit the EXACT SAME PROBLEM. They didn’t know the difference between lossy and non-lossy image formats, and they didn’t know which image formats supported transparencty. My first instinct was to ask if they even knew the difference between raster and vector images. Thank God, they did … but it all prompted me to write an email to the program co-ordinator URGING him to ensure that stuff was taught in first semester – first DAY, if possible.

i hear you loud and clear about hiring more pros. i suspect it comes down to a money issue. By teaching a college course, i’m making about half of what i make working for my company – and even less money when you factor in prep time and marking. There’s more value for me in teaching than just the paycheque (or so i thought), but beyond more money, i can’t see what would attract industry people to academia.

Your point about teaching what’s necessary vs. teaching what’s fun is a salient one when it comes to video game design courses. i’ll say this again in the next half of my rant, and i’ve said as much to my students: you’re not in college to play games. You’re here to make games. You’re trying to get a job in a cake factory. Cake is a product that other people enjoy and appreciate and have fun experiencing. But a cake factory job is just as shitty and difficult as a furniture factory job. You don’t spend all day at the cake factory EATING CAKE. So smarten the eff up, kids.