by Frank Hanisch, Peter Weishar, and Rick Barry

It is co-chaired by Peter Weishar (Savannah College of Art and Design, USA) and Frank Hanisch (University of Tübingen, Germany). They will manage the committee’s growing curriculum-related efforts and further integrate the various educational projects into the broader curricular efforts: CGEMS, cgSource, Curriculum Knowledge Base, and the Education Index.

CGEMS

http://education.siggraph.org/resources/cgems

The Computer Graphics Materials Source (CGEMS) is a peer-reviewed online journal providing computer graphics curricula, course modules and syllabi, lab notes, problem sets, teaching gems, and student work. CGEMS materials are documented with educational goals, methodology, assessment, and undergo critique by at least three experts in the field. As a Eurographics/SIGGRAPH joint project, CGEMS offers peer recognition worldwide.

cgSource

Coordinators: Frederico Figueiredo, Bridget Gaynor, and Josephine Leong
http://education.siggraph.org/resources/cgsource

CGEMS provides an established but rigid procedure of traditional peer-review. While this is a well-established method for ensuring quality materials, it also limits development. The committee therefore introduces the cgSource, a community-based collection. It is meant to quickly spawn content, while preserving the option to upgrade materials for CGEMS publication.
cgSource is an online resource for the computer graphics and digital arts education community. It complements the CGEMS resource with a simple, barrier-free collection – without formal submission requirements or formal peer review requirements. Instead, cgSource materials are subject to basic acceptability criteria, public review, and online comment. A newly-drafted cgSource white paper is available for viewing online.

Curriculum Knowledge Base

Coordinators: Tony Alley and Cary Laxer
http://education.siggraph.org/resources/knowledge-base

cgSource will consider any materials with educational use in CG-related fields. Materials will be structured with the CG taxonomy defined by the committee’s Curriculum Knowledge Base. This working framework provides classification and context, which CG educators can use to see how topics relate and fit together, and to find materials via browsing or search. As an evolving index, topics will continue to be added.

It is important to note that the knowledge base represents only one approach for organizing CG concepts into a coherent whole. Other possible structures are offered via CGEMS, which explicitly collects CG curricula and will allow for an overlap a connection between CGEMS and cgSource materials.

Education Index

Coordinator: Tereza Flaxman
The Education Database collects information about CG-related academic programs, including contact information. General information from this database will be published as the Education Index. The Education Index is a natural fit for cgSource and will be closely linked with it.

What’s in it for you?

cgSource and CGEMS present related topics that supplement or enhance CG concepts, especially in professional and arts contexts. Materials are protected by Creative Commons licensing (http://creativecommons.org) or academic fair use – they are free, and ready to use. Both provide you useful tools for planning your course or curriculum, and allow you to evaluate what you are covering in your course. The Education Committee further supports a dialog between educators and prospective employers, in CG-related fields, to determine the essential background training needed to support specific career skills.

On the other hand, if you have developed valuable content in the field, here are two tools you can use to share it with the community – peer recognition is ensured. Submitting to cgSource is simple and barrier-free. CGEMS, on the other hand, is peer-reviewed by respected educators and experts in the field. The Education Committee invites you to submit useful education materials for cgSource or CGEMS consideration.

Download or submit CGEMS content at http://cgems.inesc.pt
Submit cgSource materials at http://education.siggraph.org/resources/cgsource