THE POSSIBILITIES OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT MERGER AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE

Branislava Kostic M.Sc, Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad Abstract:

This work is based on the analysis of the project A week without media, carried out at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, in the academic year 2007/2008, within the framework of basic studies at the study group Engineering and menadgement of media. The project was carried out by a team of fourth year students, guided by teachers/mentors, within the seminar on three different subjects (Media and public opinion, Media marketing and Media aesthetics) and on the subject Public Relations menadgement. The objective of the project was joining and application of knowledge in fields of media, public opinion, media aesthetics and public relations, with the use of modern media and contemporary media technologies. The project included four units: a) public opinion research (planning, designing, carrying out and data processing, where the targeted public consisted of fourth year students of Faculty of Technical Sciences); b) experiment (participated by students/volunteers from different departments); c) shooting of a one hour-lasting investigating-documentary film (planning and preparation; shooting; editing and postproduction); d) project promotion (to an external and internal public). This work contains analysis on educational, pedagogic, media-technological, socio-psychological and methodologic reasons for designing and realisation of this kind of project, and also the evaluation of achieved results, both in the domain of multidisciplinary project joining and application of knowledge on media processes and technologies and in the domain of establishing new models of communication among students of different departments within a faculty with a complicated and diverse disciplinary stucture. Special objective of this work is pointig out the possibilities to join and apply knowledge from different field of science through a multidisciplinary connecting of several similar subject for the purpose of one project, which is only one step away from true project joining, gaining and application of knowledge from different faculty subjects on the same or on similar subjects. The offered model of multidisciplinary project joining and application of knowledge is considered to be a model of good practice in finding creative models of adopting, application, development and exchange of knowledge, with the use of contemporary media technology and use of synergetic effects of team work. Keywords: multidisciplinary, investigative, project, media, media technology, film

1.

PROJECT MERGER AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE

All the knowledge, skills and abilities that students should adopt during their studies at one of the high educational institutions, through teaching courses, are divided on the basis of their scope, content and structure, which represent relatively circled unities, within which, students have to achieve given educational goals. At the end of successful completion of the educational process, as a result, students have the necessary knowledge and have mastered the appropriate techniques, tools and processes, which should provide them the abilities to master the concrete processes, in the best possible manner, by linking them within daily practice for the profession student is educated for. Modern learning processes, that are found within systematic framework of higher educational institutions are faced with two contradictorily related challenges: a) The need for specialization / which means the segmentation of knowledge b) The need for knowledge pooling (multidisciplinary)

Structuring of modern educational institutions follows these needs, more or less successfully while trying to adopt a model which would unify these, contradictorily seeming, requirements of modern society. If we leave aside the possibilities which are given by the new models of structuring teaching curricula and programs, in this paper, we shall keep the track on the possibilities which are given by the project integration and the practice of knowledge. Baseline of the project knowledge integration essentially involves bringing together multidisciplinary teams or gathering of individuals who have different or complementary knowledge from different field of interest that can contribute to the project. In our case, which is the topic of this paper, we started from somewhat different conception of the idea of project integration and practice of knowledge: instead of forming a team which is consisted of individuals with different skills and knowledge, we have formed a team with members which have the same or similar knowledge (students from the same working group) from different fields, which should be united through complexly structured project that will demand from students to merge their knowledge from some of the professional media subjects (directly) but at the same time, from practically all subjects of industrial engineering and management (directly and indirectly). Parallel process of secondary project integration of knowledge (theoretical, practical and tacit knowledge) was related to the connection of knowledge, experience, problem solving and presentation of gained knowledge, which took place among students from different departments at the Faculty of Technical sciences. Core team of the project was consisted of Technical sciences Faculty students which were on their fourth year of the Engineering and management of media course in Novi Sad (all of them, 20 students all in all) together with their subject professors, assistants (4 persons all in all) while their coworkers and examinees of this media experiment were their colleagues from the departments of Architecture, Graphical engineering and Design, and Industrial engineering and management. The professors task was to create new basic contents and structure of the project, to assist students in creating dominant model of team functioning, creating a phase plan for project as a whole but also for all subprojects (segments) as well. Assistance in solving different types of problems with which team was facing, was one of their tasks as well. Project was implemented in the framework of integrated practice for three subjects (Media and public opinion, Media marketing and Esthetics of media) Project was initiated and designed in the framework of regular practice, while its realization (from draft sketch to phase realization) was mainly upheld during students and professors free time. The interesting fact is that the work within the free time has respectfully contributed to the quality of engagement of students in total, including all the subjects that were directly associated with the project. Additional motivation for students was the possibility (and obligation as well) to document, analyze, and justify their participation in some of the project segments with seminar papers/projects which they would complete, as a pre-exam obligation, within the practice of subjects. 2.

FASE STRUCTURE IN FUNCTION OF PROJECT MULTIDISCIPLINATORITY

Multidiscipline projects in teaching, as a rule, are integrating part of knowledge, skills and abilities of students, which are in direct connection with projects topic or task. Often, these projects represent simplification in relation to reality, giving students inadequate picture of the project as a separate whole, which is not essentially grounded within previous actions and processes, which are in the real world of practice necessary. Therefore, having in mind the complexity and mutual connectivity of different processes which lead to a final creation of successful media product, we have created complexly structured project, realization of which lasted for two semesters. So, the Project, whose official name, selected by students, was A week without media gathered up few

phases, by some of which presented a specific whole in terms of methods, techniques, technical resources and requirements that were placed before the team.

3. CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE PROJECT A WEEK WITHOUT MEDIA

Project A week without media was consisted from 4 interrelated, successively implemented subprojects: Research Relation of FTS students towards media Experiment 1 "Week without Media" in which students reported voluntarily to renounce the usage of three media which students - according to data gained from research " Relation of FTS students towards media ", usually consume / use, Investigative documentary film A week without media, designed, planed and realized based on and from materials gained researching relation of FTS students towards media and experiment A week without media Film presentation and promotion A week without Media within FTS and among young persons that were interested for the film .

Complex phase structure of the project in the function of multidisciplinarity

Research Relation of FTS students towards media media

Results

Project A week without media

Experiment A week without media Investigative documentary film "A week without media"

Material

Analysis and evaluation, presentation and promotion of the film

Product

Graf. 1. Scheme of the successive phase structure of the project

In order to visualize the structure and functional connection between sub-projects in the synergistic project whole, we will analyze each of these segments.

The name Experiment does not consist of marks such as sientific experiment, because it didnt have control and experimental group, neither it has demanded special terms for apstinents which would then provide precise control and objective monitoring and recording of their apstinence

3.1.

Research FTS students relation toward media.

The study was conceived, planned and implemented, while the collected data have been processed and analyzed during the second half of the winter semester 2007/2008. The main objective of the research was the understanding of relations between students of the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the media (press, radio, television, internet, books, comics, mobile phone). The basic purpose of the research results was focused on the design of student media, aligned with the wishes and preferences of FTS students in terms of form, content, images and models of communication. Educational objective of this study was application of acquired knowledge. mastering the practical skills, methods and techniques in research area of targeted public and media consumers toward media. The research was conducted by testing, using the survey technique, based on a questionnaire with 20 combined type questions. The research involved 363 students the first year of FTS, all study groups included, in proportion to their share in total number of students of FTS. The sample is properly stratified with respect to the structure of the department, status and gender of students. The student tasks, conducted with support, guidance and problem analysis of teachers included: Development of the conceptual design of exploration (defining subject, objectives, methods and techniques, sampling and implementation methods of the operative part of the research); Preparation, organization and implementation of operational part in the research (design and printing of promotion material for the project, lobbying for the project to the consent of the teacher who taught in the first year, to allow the seizure of 15 minutes of their classes in order to explain the project to students and the realization of the survey; preparation and printing of questionnaires, a campaign by students to be motivated to give honest and sincere answers); Data processing obtained by the survey (inspection, classification and coding of open responses, input data into the prepared mask; develop a model of data processing, data processing); The discussion and analysis of the results (results were a surprise relative to expectations of students, primarily in those elements in which the preferences and attitudes were different from the total population or the stereotypical expectations of their fellow-researchers, the most intense discussion developed regarding the differences in preferences / attitudes in relation to the gender in relation to the department, the entire survey consisted of eight main sections: the general attitude of students towards the media, attitude toward the press, radio, television, internet, book, comics, and mobile phones). Presentation of the results (each student had his own theme / area in which he defined the issues, and coded data entry, processed and analyzed them, and after completion of the analysis process student had to present all the results obtained in the text form as a seminar paper for the media and public opinion class while the student also had to fulfill a public defense of this work by audio-visual presentation. Research evaluation (accuracy of the data, research and usage values of the data, the possibility to implement the data results in the next phase of the project). During the process of evaluating the results of research, team came to a conclusion on the further use of these results, for the two projects: a) "Week without the media", whose implementation has been agreed for the next semester, but the preparations begin immediately after the January-February's exam period, b ) 'Student Television', for whose implementation it is necessary to provide material resources that are currently unavailable to the faculty, so that project is left for the future. All segments / phases of the sub-projects implemented by the students of the first generation of engineering and management of media, using, primarily, the knowledge gained within the subject of media

and public opinion, with partial involvement of assistants in the modeling of the data entry program. In this part of the project the least part was a representation of a multidisciplinary approach, because the focus was on the practical application of knowledge and adoption of specific organizational and tacit knowledge related to a conceptual design of research, appropriate instruments, as well as for implementation of field research. 3.2.

Experiment2 Week without the media in which admitted students voluntarily renounce the use of three media, that students - according to data obtained from the survey FTS students relation toward media, usually consume / use.
During the next semester (8), starting from February 2007 few sub-projects took place. The first of these was an experiment "Week without the media", by which the whole project got its name. During the evaluation of the aforementioned research, we provided a set of Reference for this sub-project: to try to explore the nature of the attachment of students to certain media, with whom they have frequent, communications (television, mobile phone and internet), because the average frequency and duration of consumption was above expectations of student-researchers from engineering and management of media. Therefore, in the second phase of the project, we approached the implementation of subprojects Week without the media - Abstinence" in the form of an experiment that had no official features of scientific experiments: one group - abstinent group, without control group, experimental control compliance requirements was carried out based on the testimony of students communicated in a specially organized talks, which were recorded and archived audio visuall). During an organized interpersonal communication about abstinence from media, abstinent-volunteers from all departments totaled: problems related to abstinence from consuming / use of television, Internet and mobile phones (allowed media were radio, print and home phone), disturbances in the normal way of life that are caused by abstinence, communication barriers, barriers in social interaction, as a consequence of abstinence, Changes in the perception of reality, The effect of abstinence on introspection (self perception and self evaluation). Four such conversations were organized, where the moderators of conversations and motivators were students of engineering and management of media, especially trained by the assistant at the Psychology, which was one of the coordinators of the project. The main segments / processes of sub-projects were:

3.2. 1.Promotion and advertising of the subproject; attraction and motivation of potential participantsvolunteers, developing, preparing, printing and distribution / pasting advertising and promotional materials, 3.2. 2.Training of moderator / motivator students for communication with abstainers, additional training of student-filmmakers. 3.2. 3.Moderation of organized interpersonal communication between project participants (student volunteers registered) on ways of manifestation of abstinence of 3 media, during the discussions that led to the first week of abstinence, and twice in the duration of abstinence at the end of "Week without the media".
2

The name Experiment does not consist of marks such as sientific experiment, because it didnt have control and experimental group, neither it has demanded special terms for apstinents which would then provide precise control and objective monitoring and recording of their apstinence

3.2. 4.An audiovisual recording of an organized interpersonal communication (four-camera interviews are recorded by the students of engineering and management media). 3.2. 5.The survey of participants at the start of weeks of abstinence (the relationship with the media, expectations for abstinence, reasons for joining the project) and at its end. 3.2. 6.Archiving, processing, review and analyzing the collected written and audiovisual materials. An interesting effect of this experiment was an unusually well-being of all participants of the subproject, a distinct honesty and communication skills, willingness to accept discussion about the problems, acceptance of introspection (self perception and self-evaluation) through interpersonal communication with unknown colleagues, extreme close relations between abstinent volunteers and with researchers moderators and motivators and developing mutual respect and respect of (un required) fair play; obvious manifestation of empathy among students, gradually breaking completely discomfort from the camera as witness. In this sub-project knowledge gained within the subject of Media and public opinion, Media marketing, Media aesthetics (direct) have been used and applied, also the knowledge acquired in the context of other media items that 4th year students 4th of IMM kept track of (Classic Media, Digital processing of images and sound, Sociology of Mass Communication insufficient compliance.), and the knowledge gained during the first three years of general engineering management studies (subjects involved in management, psychology, sociology, marketing). This second phase of sub-project "Week without the mediaabstinence" was a good example multidisciplinary and practical necessity of synthesis and application of knowledge from very different areas, resulting in extremely high-quality communication and quality recorded material. 3.3.

Research Documentary Film Week without the media, conceived, planned and implemented based on material obtained from the survey FTS students relation toward media and experiment Week without the media.
On the basis of material recorded during organized interpersonal conversations with abstainers, the material obtained by research " FTS students relation toward media " and the scientific and practical knowledge acquired in the cases covered by the project, in third phase / sub-project tasks have been divided, organization of production and realization of documentary research film "Week without the media" The results of this project are: research and documentary film "Week without media" (duration 110 minutes), the combined content (played, scientific, documentary), a representative-promotional spot about the movie (duration 4 minutes), poster for the film, CD cover design and CD. All activities related to production of the film was done by students of Engineering and management of media (written, directed, organization, preparation of scientific and research findings, review, selection and installation of material recorded during organized interpersonal conversations with abstainers, the recording scene for a film, creating an of recording, acting, design, photography ...). Complete work related to the realization of this film was completed in a month, with the involvement of 20 students and 4 professors / assistant. At this stage of the project the knowledge gained on expert media classes are applied. One of the effects of this project is a high degree of student interests for each phase of work on the film, according to individual preferences (the script, directing, acting, filming, editing, organization ...). It is interesting that there was almost no overlap in any activities selected by students, so that practically all tasks / processes were marked by the optimal number of students, which means that none of the processes / activities was different by the number of interested students, which was not expected. 3. 4.

Promotion of the film Week without the media, on FTS and among young people interested in film.

At the end of the semester, the film was, the integral version of 120 minutes, "previewed" to IMM students at the last hour of exercises from one of the classes involved in the project. Premiere, of the film was after one week, presented to the project participants (students of Engineering and management of media and voluntary student - abstainers from all departments) and interested members of the leadership of the Faculty of Technical Sciences. After the screening, which took place in a very friendly atmosphere, there was an organized discussion in order to evaluate the overall project, during which it was concluded that the film, shortened to 70 minutes should be offered some of the youth festival, or festival of documentary and scientific films. Promotion of the film and application on the International Film Festival FTONT in Novi Sad was a practice of knowledge merger that students acquired in the subjects: Public Relations, media aesthetics, social responsibility of media and media marketing. Scientific research documentary film "Week without the media" was in competition of documentaries and was very well-received by audiences of FRONT International Film Festival, in Novi Sad, 2008.

4. CONCLUSION
Implementation of this multidisciplinary, complex structured project with the successive implementation of subprojects in its composition, has shown the practical possibilities of multidisciplinary merger and application of knowledge in the teaching process at a higher education institution. Full multi-disciplinary and actual application of knowledge to future projects of this type should, in addition to merging scientific knowledge, their application, conquest and adoption of practical and tacit knowledge related to the art of "the practical organization of processes / tasks in a real environment, would include wider understood social engagement of students in identifying, studying and presenting problems / challenges posed by the current reality. Bringing the pre-sign "civic engagement" in such multidisciplinary projects could ensure the development of awareness of the need for quality Communication with the environment, taking responsibility from professionals in development of the desired effects on the overall stability, sustainability and humanity of a society in which we live. Therefore, we see this project, primarily, as a proof that it is possible to initiate, direct and maintain a very high degree of motivation, the desire for the completion and implementation of knowledge, among students of senior years of studies, through projects that allow them creativity, freedom of thought and decision making, peer education, socialization between students of different departments (directions, Faculty ...) and open communication between students and teachers. All teachers involved in this project agree that due to the project "Week Without the media" first generation of Engineering and management of media students significantly raised the quality of acquired knowledge, skills and abilities. Project Team of "Week without the media" was made by: teachers/assistants (mr Branislava Kosti, Jelena Kovaevi Jurea, Petar Vrgovi, mr Mladen Peujlija), students of 4th year of FTS, Engineering and management of media (Aanski Jelena, Babi Milan, Blesi Maja, Bjelajac Sneana, Borojevi, Ivona, Bogunovi Zorica, Cvetkovi Mirko, Filipovi Predrag, Gagovi Nevena, Kaar Jovana, Korom Aleksandar, Miovi Momir, Pai Andrea, Sabo Ivana, Skokin Vera, ebi Silvija, ianin Iva, Ljiljak Uro i ivkovi Goran). The total material cost of the overall project implementation (which does not include the cost of using existing resources of FTS) was only 150 euros.

REFERENCES:
1. Kosti, Branislava (2008), Project documentation "Week without media", Novi Sad, FTS

2. Kosti, Branislava; Kovaevi Jurea, Jelena; Vrgovi, Petar; Aanski, Jelena; Babi, Milan; Blesi, Maja; Bjelajac, Sneana; Bogunovi, Zorica; Borojevi, Ivona; Filipovi, Predrag; Gagovi, Nevena; Kaar, Jovana; Korom, Aleksandar; Miovi, Momir; Pai, Andrea; Sabo, Ivana; Skokin, Vera; ebi, Silvija; ianin, Iva; Ljiljak, Uro; ivkovi, Goran (2007/08), Research and documentary film "Week without media". 3. Babi, Milan (2007), Research results analisys " FTS students relation toward media "- general indicators of students' attitudes toward the media, Novi Sad, FTS. 4. Aanski, Jelena; Bjelajac, Sneana; Borojevi, Ivona (2008): Week without media-project report, Novi Sad, FTS