The Cyberwalk Arts Festival, an event held the weekend of April 24, was an alternative to the Sidewalk Arts Festival for those not able to attend the on-site event. It was open to all current SCAD students, and SCAD alumni.

For eLearning students like myself, it offered a way to get involved in campus events without having to be on campus.

The interface was pretty simple to use, and similar to your most basic paint program. You had a virtual sidewalk for your drawing pad, the use of 10 colors of chalk to choose from, and a sponge as your eraser. A mouse was okay for use if you did not have a Wacom tablet, although it may have required a bit more time and skill. I also found the laptop touchpad to be difficult.
Take a virtual stroll to see all of the entries.

Overall I found it to be a fun experience, and I hope to see more events like this offered to students online.

This years entries

This years winners

Some comments from students and alumni:

Andres Ortiz: “I enjoyed the Cyberwalk competition. I thought it was a clever way to get us internet hermits to become more involved in local events – possibly encouraged some of us to brave the blazing sun to see the real Sidewalk Arts festival. The interface was smooth and intuitive, and though I generally like to see troves of information when it comes to digital submissions (who they are, names of pieces, descriptions of artist intentions) I have to say it pretty much was true to the Sidewalk Arts experience in providing slabs of concrete for people to draw on in series.
I would definitely keep it the same way, though the Flash software had a few bugs and it would have been nice to be able to save a draft in case the power goes out or our browser crashes.”

Annie Halo: “It made me wish I had a Wacom tablet, that’s for sure! I was glad that I got to participate though and I think it’s a great idea for those of us who can’t get down to Savannah to draw with real chalk. The interface was a little buggy on my computer; when I tried to view my square later it loaded really slowly, but then again I am running an older OS on an older Mac…so that’s probably why. More chalk colors would’ve been nice, but I did what I could. Overall, I think it’s a really cool idea and I enjoyed it!”

Tran Nguyen: “I thought the contest was interesting and gave the alumni/ other students, who weren’t able to partake in the actual event, an opportunity to join in. I didn’t have too much trouble with the interface. It was quite user-friendly. I did run into a glitch where some strokes would duplicate on a different part of the canvas. It was a little irritating but not a huge ordeal.”

Every year, eLearning students are invited to come visit the Savannah campus for a meet and greet weekend filled with fun, movies and socials. This year, the group met at Alexander Hall located at 668 Indian Street. There was food, fun and lots of laughter. eLearning students from all over showed up with family members and other prospect students. The weekend started with the Sidewalk Arts Festival and continued with the movies Up and Back to the Future in Forsyth Park.

SCAD’s eLearning students and staff not only know how to play hard, but their level of work is no joke. eLearning students must be focused to maintain their work loads. Germaine Irwin, an eLearning Student from New Jersey said, “It’s a lot harder that I thought. I’m glad it’s not easy. I’m learning a lot and pushing more boundaries in my work.” Graduate school doesn’t often fit into the schedule of routine for a mother with a teenage son and a full time job. As an eLearning student, Irwin can find a balance in her life while she strives for a higher degree. “I can post my homework from anywhere. I was just at Starbucks, had a coffee and posted my latest assignment.”

Andrew Fulp, Dean of SCAD eLearning, enthusiastically talks about eLearning, it’s past history and future. Starting in 1999, eLearning began as a supplemental to ground campuses but quickly turned into a a fully online system of education. “It’s a great way to learn and a great way to teach,” he said. “In the beginning I had a student in the Washing area and in Virgina and it was just like they were here.”

Fulp states that the experience has been great as eLearning instructors help new eLearning professors form and manage their classes. The aspect of being realistic with what can be taught online is the online base point,otherwise, “the sky is the limit.”

New online programs focused on Graduate studies include Design Management. The liberal arts program “slated to be next is Writing.” eLearning will never have a “professor in a box,” each course is

Instructional Designer, Erica Tate works with faculty and media designers to create the online courses students learn from. “It’s been really great to think about ways to enhance the quality of a student’s learning experience.

Graphic Designer M.F.A. candidate Red Madden gushes about SCAD saying “once you go to SCAD, you never want to go anywhere else.” She works full time as a teacher but is very excited to stretch her journalistic muscles as a contributor to Myriad, the eLearning student media blog and magazine.

Every year with careful planning and fantastic decorations, the eLearning staff hosts the Spring Social to help students feel more connected their college. The eLearning courses help students engage in highly creative projects, but allows them to meet and network with professionals looking for higheR education from all over the world.

Most eLearning students, unlike traditional ground students do not arrive at the age of 18 or 19. eLearning students come from all walks of life in every season of life. Many already have full time jobs in their field but want more education while others are finding the time to achieve the education they always wanted. Still more students attend eLearning classes to change their career paths.

Whatever the reason, most eLearning students do not attend campus classes, but once a year with the Spring Social, they can visit the flagship campus and meet the instructors and classmates they so regularly communicate with digitally.

For more information about the Spring Social or upcoming events in Savannah Atlanta or even somewhere closer to you, join the eLearning Facebook page.

2010 Best in Show Winner Photo by Dennis Burnett, courtesy of SCAD

Through the drizzle rain, students and artists created their works as best they could. Now the final decisions are in. Read more on District.

SCAD alumni united for Denver Architecture Tours Photo by Christopher Smith

The rain wasn’t enough to keep students and alumni away from Forsyth Park. Through the drizzle, artists took to their squares and created wonderful works of arts. Read more about the story reported by District.

Students at last year’s Sidewalk Arts Festival work on their drawings Photo by Caila Brown

The Sidewalk Arts Festival coming up this Friday, April 24 in Forsyth Park. Students of all majors and grade levels are welcome to enter the competition. Visit the guidelines page for more details. District, the Savannah campus’ news organization featured a divergent media spotlight on a prep course for the festival to teach students valuable techniques for dealing with chalk and water on the sidewalk. Professor Payne taught students how to use the chalk to create various washes and glazes for their work. Watch the report from District.

Hello all,
I hope you can come to tonight’s interest meeting to talk about the progress Myriad has been making since it’s concept. If you want to join the team or just find out more about the eLearning student media. Come to the meeting set tonight at 8 p.m. EST. Click or copy and paste the web address in your URL to sign into the meeting. See you there.

http://scadconnect.scad.edu/studentmedia