Syracuse University Partners With Twitch For Esports And Media Course
Published: Jun 12, 2018 - Last Updated: Apr 8, 2024
Syracuse University, in cooperation with Twitch, is launching a new course focused on esports and media. The university’s Newhouse School of Public Communications will run the course.
The school describes it as exploring “the rapidly growing world of esports, tracing the historical roots of competitive video games to the current multibillion-dollar industry.”
Examining esports through multiple lenses
Starting this coming fall, the new course will offer a learning experience about the rapidly growing area of competitive gaming. Students will garner industry know how. They’ll learn its history, technologies, and business models, as well as the dynamics of teams, leagues, and broadcasting services.
“With the growing interest in and popularity of competitive gaming—not just in terms of participation, but also broadcasting and marketing—we made it a priority to offer our students a holistic look at esports and media,” said Newhouse Sports Media Center Director and Television, Radio, and Film Practice Professor Olivia Stomski.
Stomski will co-teach the course with Chris Hanson, a College of Arts and Sciences assistant professor of English and former gaming course teacher.
“The world of esports is expanding at an astonishing rate, as are the number of careers associated with the industry,” said Hanson in a statement. “By collaborating with Twitch, students in our course will have the opportunity to gain invaluable insights and cutting-edge experience from leaders in the field.”
Giving students hands-on experience
Now, Twitch’s history and enormous user base will be an excellent source or knowledge for interested students.
“We will be working with Twitch throughout the semester,” Stomski said. “We will have a dedicated Twitch channel for our class, and Twitch will assist with arranging guest speakers and supplying guidance to our students as they navigate the ever-changing world of esports and media.”
Enabling direct collaboration between students and esports organizations should paint a picture of what’s actually happening in the esports world. According to the announcement, the course participants will “produce original content in a range of forms, such as written analysis, live broadcasting, reporting and/or developing marketing and advertising plans.”
Universities exploring the world of esports
As competitive gaming grows, more institutions of higher learning grow interested. The Syracuse-Twitch cooperation follows other similar explorations by colleges.
For example, the ESL and University of York recently announced an esports content production module. The new program aims at teaching students how to translate esports action into captivating content for fans.
Then, in 2016, the University of Nevada Las Vegas launched its own lab aimed at researching the ever-growing industry. The university’s International Gaming Institute provides cutting-edge insights into the industry.
Finally, the University of Oxford also announced plans to enter the esports segment with an educational focus. It came as part of Tencent’s cultural deal with the UK, which will see the company work with Oxford to host games and courses designed to promote the development of the esports industry.
Editorial credit: Paul Brady Photography / Shutterstock.com
Since: September 12, 2015
