International New Media Writing Prize Winner Lands Unicorn Role
A Bournemouth University Postgraduate will be bringing his award-winning ideas to Unicorn Training after landing a prestigious international New Media Writing Prize ahead of Learning Technologies 2016
A Bournemouth University Postgraduate will be bringing his award-winning ideas to Unicorn Training after landing a prestigious international New Media Writing Prize ahead of Learning Technologies 2016.
Shaun Hickman, 23, is set to join Unicorn on a three-month placement after his digital creation, ‘Kindred’, landed the Student Prize at the Bournemouth University-organised awards, which showcases exciting and inventive stories that integrate a variety of formats, platforms, and digital media.
Now in its sixth year, the New Media Writing Prize encourages and promotes the best in new media writing, leading the way towards the future of the ‘written’ word and storytelling. It attracts entries from the best, most innovative writers in the field.
Unicorn, the renowned Bournemouth-based eLearning solutions company, has sponsored the Student Prize for the past few years, believing that the worlds of new media and online learning are inextricably linked. Award winner Shaun agrees.
He said: “Effective learning is all about engagement, so capturing a learner’s attention on a digital platform should always be a priority. The mobility of Apps and their prominence on multiple devices can be beneficial to a learner who wishes to learn on the go.
“However, the digital learning material provided must be engaging enough to ensure they are gaining relevant knowledge and understanding. A careful balance between enjoyable interactivity and informative insight and guidance can make learning an engaging process for learners.”
New Media Writing Prize entrants are challenged to use digital media innovatively to create an engaging, satisfying piece of fiction or non-fiction work that is easily accessible for the reader or viewer and reaches out to a wide, not specialist, audience, demonstrating how new media can do things traditional media cannot.
Shaun, who is originally from Bristol and graduated from Bournemouth University with an MA in Literary Media, added: “I entered the New Media Writing Prize as it was one of the few places I was able to showcase my work to industry professionals.
“I think my style is quite atmospheric and I enjoy blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Digital technologies have really aided me in creating interactive narratives in a number of ways including that digital technologies, as a whole, are a great tool for exploring the human psyche. I’m a strong believer that multimedia can assist in expressing what appears to be inexpressible through words.”
Peter Phillips, Unicorn CEO, said: “We’ve been long-term supporters of the New Media Writing Prize. In our world you cannot ignore the creative ways new technologies are being used and the ability to engage through storytelling, which fundamentally sits at the heart of producing effective eLearning that connects emotionally. Huge congratulations to Shaun, we look forward to working with him.”
You can discover how Unicorn strives to create innovative, impactful learning solutions on Stand P14 at the Learning Technologies 2016 conference and exhibition at Olympia next Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 February.
For more information about the New Media Writing Prize visit www.newmediawritingprize.co.uk
For more information about Unicorn Training visit www.unicorntraining.com and to come and see us at Learning Technologies 2016 register for free entry to the Learning Technologies and Learning and Skills 2016 exhibitions and seminars at www.learningtechnologies.co.uk