Training the Next Generation of Digital Content Creators and Innovators

Yonsei University invests in digital literacy as an Adobe Creative Campus and gives students new opportunities to shape the future.

Yonsei University has a prestigious past dating back to 1885, but these days, the institution is more focused on the future. The Korean university has made big investments in digital literacy to help students rise to the top in a digital world.

“Digital literacy is the new universal language—and an essential quality for the modern intellectual,” says Sang Min Kim, Assistant Professor at Global Leaders College, Yonsei University. “It can unlock completely new opportunities for students who become fluent creators, not just consumers.”

Bringing those skills to bear across three campuses and 35,000 students is no small task. But Yonsei University is making it happen, thanks in part to its partnership with Adobe. As an Adobe Creative Campus, the institution not only gives students and faculty access to Adobe Creative Cloud tools, it has built a wide-ranging digital literacy curriculum and cultivated a campus environment where digital skills can flourish.

Here are a few ways Yonsei University is bringing digital literacy to life.

Content writing and visual storytelling: a new liberal arts curriculum

Yonsei University added digital media workshops and seminars to its writing curriculum in the liberal arts department, teaching students how to increase the impact and reach of their content through tools such as Adobe Rush.

“Content writing and visual storytelling is the new writing skill. The importance of expressing yourself through pictures, videos, graphics, and audio cannot be overstated,” says Young Hyo Bak, Lecturer in the Global Leaders College and Yonsei University. “And now it is becoming easier to do so—without the steep learning curve.”

Healthcare startups: innovation in the College of Medicine

The College of Medicine now offers a medical digital literacy course, where students use Adobe XD to prototype applications for their own digital health startups. The department has also created an animated tutoring system using Adobe Character Animator.

“The healthcare field is changing rapidly, and traditional pedagogical methods no longer apply,” says Eun Joon Lee, lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at Yonsei University. “We need to train students for a healthcare industry increasingly dominated by digital technologies.”

Open workshops: students and faculty learn something new

No matter their department, Yonsei students and faculty alike can sign up for a wide range of seminars and workshops to learn Adobe tools and stay current with industry trends.

One successful workshop focused on Adobe Spark, enabling participants to create animated web pages with images and video. Students built personal websites to manage their studies and keep track of lecture notes. For faculty, it was a hands-on opportunity to start developing visual course content for their classrooms.

Another workshop introduced participants to augmented reality (AR) with Adobe Aero, Adobe Fresco, and Adobe Photoshop on iPads. “Student participation and engagement were outstanding,” says Sang Min Kim. “They got to learn AR concepts through firsthand experience, watching their own creations come to life.”

Yet another workshop—this one focused on UI/UX principles—helped students design multimedia presentations using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Adobe Rush, and Adobe Premiere. “Through this multifaceted project, students were able to experience the entire sequence from design and production to delivery and management of content, which are all critical digital literacy skills,” Sang Min Kim says.

Building tomorrow’s classroom

Like other higher education institutions, Yonsei University faces an ongoing challenge—keeping pace with a fast-changing technology landscape. That means the university’s approach is constantly evolving. From its investment in the latest software and hardware for students to use, to its Smart Campus Project, dissolving the boundaries of the traditional classroom, the outlook is optimistic.

“Sharing digital content, finding new ways to use digital tools, and driving innovative problem solving will all happen ubiquitously, and everyone will both be teacher and student,” says Sang Min Kim. “It will be the digital age’s rendition of the flipped classroom.”

_As an Adobe Creative Campus, Yonsei University is bringing Adobe Creative Cloud tools to the classroom, turning students into conscientious consumers and innovative creators of digital media. Read more.
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