The Educational Status of College-level Photography-related Courses

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1 , pp The Educational Status of College-level Photography-related Courses Minung Kim 21, Maebong-ro 4ga-gil, Dongjak-gu,#156830,Seoul, Korea Abstract. There is a lack of effective photography curriculums for non-major students established at universities for increasing educational outcomes of their major studies through the understanding and application of photography. This study identifies affiliated departments by academic fields, number of photography-related course by universities, class types, and credits and class hours to analyze the status of photography-related courses offered by nonphotography departments (majors). The arts and physical education, the same field as photography, have the highest number of photography courses within the core curriculums among non-photography departments (majors). Among those photography courses for non-majors, curriculums based on a format of practicum + theory are relatively more prevalent than theory-based classes. Furthermore, in most academic divisions, the courses consisting 2 credits/3 hours, 3 credits/3 hours, and 3 credits/4 hours are most prevalent and a few universities developed classes with 1 credit/1.5 hours and 3 credits/4.5 hours. Keyword: curriculum, course, university, photography, non-major students 1 Introduction As a part of visual media, photography is widely used in different academic divisions. Therefore, college-level education pays greater attention on photography in its curriculums. In the midst of this trend, other (non-photography) departments also strive to increase educational effects on their students through photography education. Universities do generally not focus on developing photography courses as a part of major curriculums, but rather focus on the various applications of photography for utilizing the knowledge in their majors by teaching details of photography to nonphotography majors. In particular, photography courses for non-majors are most available in Department of design and arts as being in the same academic division as photography. This indicates that the photography applications are considered important among those departments, but the educational curriculum for understanding and applications of photography is yet well-established. Therefore, this study analyzes the educational status and characteristics of college-level photography-related courses in other departments for solving the current deficiencies. ISSN: ASTL Copyright 2015 SERSC

2 2 Research Methodology In order to analyze the status and weaknesses of photography-related core courses, this study selected twenty-five South Korean universities located in the areas of Seoul, Kyungki, and Incheon that do not have a photography department. The selected universities are either public or private universities and this study excluded the universities with the department (major) of photography. This is because this study seeks to analyze the operations of photography-related courses for non-photography major students. This study assessed the status of photography-related courses in universities located in the areas of Seoul, Kyungki, and Incheon by the information provided on the websites of relating departments (majors), undergraduate school, and college catalogs. Then this study divided the identified photography-related courses in academic fields and schools to analyze the educational status of photography-related courses with the following classifications: number of photography-related course by universities, class types (theory-based, practicum, theory + practicum), and academic credits and class hours. 3 Status by Academic Divisions and Universities The 102 photography-related courses across 25 universities are selected and Categorized into Academic Divisions and Majors. And analyze the educational status of photography-related courses 3.1 Status by Academic Divisions Regarding the number of photography-related courses, departments of design and arts offered the most as being same academic division as photography studies and humanities had the least photography-related classes. This is because universities use photography classes for utilizing and applying to the same academic division as having the most similar features as photography. In particular, photography is widely applied in art and design-track courses. On the other hand, the departments of education, philosophy, and literature had the least photography-related classes, but photography is widely used for developing visual materials in education and literature courses that these departments need additional photography-related courses. Table 1. Non-photography courses in different academic divisions Academic divisions Academic Divisions Majors Percentage of courses Engineering Architectural engineering 4% Social Science Humanities Education Journalism and Mass Communication 9% Philosophy Korean Literature Copyright 2015 SERSC 187

3 Dance Cosmetology Fashion Design 4% Art and Physical Education Design 26% Fine Arts 38% Design/Fine Arts Film 1 Film/ Acting 3% 3.2 Status by Universities This study presents the percentage of 102 photography-related courses in twenty-five universities. Among those universities, Korea National University of Arts has the highest number of photography-related courses with 1, followed by Kookmin University (10%), Hongik University (8%), Seokyeong University (8%), and Konkuk University (7%). Korea National University of Arts School of Film, TV & Multimedia and School of Visual Arts, Hongik University s Department of Design, Department of Visual Arts, Department of Painting, Department of Printmaking, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kookmin University s Department of Visual Arts, Department of Metal Crafts, Department of Fashion Design, Department of Entertainment Design, Department of Painting adapted photography-related courses and Kookmin University have the photography-related courses of more diverse divisions relatively to other universities. In Seokyeong University, Department of Visual Content Design, Department of culture industrial Craft Design, Department of Stage Fashion, Department of Beauty Art, Department of Film and Digital Media developed photography-related courses. Among public universities, Korea National University of Arts has the highest number of photography-related courses compared to other universities as it is a special university to generate artists. 188 Copyright 2015 SERSC

4 Dankook Kyonggi 5% Hansung 3% Dongguk Inha 4% Sejong Soongsil Hanyang 6% Hongik 8% Korea Seoul Women's Korea National University of Arts 1 Seokyeong 8% Seoul National University of Science & Technology 3% Kyunghee 3% Konkuk 7% Sungshin Women's Seoul National 6% Ewha Womans 5% Kookmin 10% Myongji Kangnam University of Seoul Sookmyung Women's Dongduk Women's 5% Fig 1. Status by Universities 3.3 Status by Class Formats The twenty-five universities in the areas of Seoul, Kyungki-do, and Incheon have 102 photography-related courses. This study categorizes the course into following classifications: Theory-based, Practicum, and Theory + Practicum Class format Practicum Theory-based Theory+Practicum Number of courses No classification 21.6% 6.9% 28.4% 43. Table 2. Photography-related Courses by Class Formats The 43. of the selected 102 courses were not classified class format types by the universities. Among the courses with classifications, courses in the format of theory+practicum and practicum had the biggest weight. This indicates that nonphotography departments place importance in the applications of photography. 3.4 Class Hours and Academic Credits In terms of credits and hours, 2 credits/3 hours, 3 credits/ 3 hours, 3 credits/4 hours are relatively more prevalent. Dongduk Women's University s Department of Painting offers two classes with 1 credit/1.5 hours, but in practice, this type does not provide sufficient time to teach photography. On the other hands, Ewha Womans University s Department of Sculpture and Department of Educational Technology offer one class with 3 credits/4.5 hours. This indicates that Ewha Womans University understands and recognizes the importance and medium features of photography-related courses that it allotted sufficient class time compared to other universities. In conclusion, this study Copyright 2015 SERSC 189

5 analyzes that educational effect of photography-related course can be increased by allotting sufficient class hours and credits. Field Credits / Hours 1/1.5 1/2 2/2 2/3 2/4 3/3 3/4 3/4.5 Architectural engineering Education 1 1 Journalism and Mass Communication Philosophy 1 Korean Literature 1 Dance 1 Cosmetology 1 Fashion Design Design Fine Arts Design/Fine Arts 1 Film Film/ Acting 1 Table 3. Credits and Hours 4 Conclusion This study identifies the academic divisions of photography-related courses in the following order: Arts and Physical Education (84%), social science (10%), engineering (4%), and humanities (). Design and Art division had the highest number of photography-related courses as being in the same academic division as photography and humanities had the least photography-related courses. Among the surveyed twenty-five universities, Korea National University of Arts has the most photographyrelated course (1) followed by Kookmin University (10%), Hongik University (8%), Seokyeong University (8%), and Konkuk University (7%). Furthermore, among public universities, Korea National University of Arts has relatively greater number of photography-related courses as it is a special university for developing artists. In terms of class types, the 56.9% of photography-related courses are classified and 21.6% of those based on practicums, 28.4% are based on theory+practicums that practicum-based courses are more popular than theory-based photography-related course. This indicates that photography-related courses are established in non- 190 Copyright 2015 SERSC

6 photography departments for building practical skills of non-photography majors. In terms of credits and class hours, 2credits/3 hours, 3 credits/ 3 hours, 3 credits/4 hours are most prevalent among photography-related courses. Also, a few universities offer the course in formats of 1 credit/1.5 hours, 3 credit/4.5 hours. This study is conducted to analyze the status of photography-related courses offered by non-photography departments (majors). References 1. J.G. Lee, Professional Photography Curricula with Specialized Cooperative Education and Placement, The Society of Korean Photography. Vol.4, (2004), S.M. Na, Study on actual condition of cultural education of music in university - around seoul region, MA: Kangwon National University, J.H. Park, Korea's traditional performing arts related subjects (music) curriculum status and operation plan improvements through survey resarch focusing on university, MB: Dankook University, D.G. Han, A Study on the development and status quo of the visual subjects in the designrelated curriculum in Korea, MA: Hongik University, S.H. Lee, A Study on the Types of Elective Language Arts College Courses : The Case of four-year-course universities in Seoul, MA: Seoul Women's University, H.J. Kim, A Study on Curriculum of the Art Department at Cyber University, Korean Society of Basic Design & Art. Vol.12, No.2, (2011), Copyright 2015 SERSC 191