Game Education Summit North America

 Patrick Pennefather (BFA, MFA, CELTA) is a founding faculty member at the Masters of Digital Media Program in Vancouver, Canada where he teaches Interdisciplinary Improvisation and manages industry-facing projects.  His innovative/iterative approach as an educator is fueled by ongoing research into collaborative learning processes, and a relentless commitment to bridging the gap between what he teaches and what is demanded by a rapidly changing digital media industry.   He facilitates a student-centered learning approach, empowering learners to transform into creative and effective collaborators on multi-disciplinary project teams with the end goal of becoming the designers of their own digital future.  “He understands project goals (and how to exceed them) and creates incredible content and results. He builds great relationships with clients, students, peers and everyone around him.”(Chenard) His approach is informed by improvisational techniques gathered from his experience as a professional comedian and clown on over a thousand events and performances, and as an award-winning composer on over fifteen hundred live and multi-media productions. He has mentored and managed student led industry funded projects with Microsoft, InTransit BC, UBC Fisheries, Media Awareness Network, Pacific Wild, Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition 2010, and more. As a composer he has worked with numerous clients including Bard on the Beach, Push Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Touchstone, University of Florida, UCLA Long Beach, CBC Radio & Television, Bravo Television, Comedy Network, City of Vancouver, McDonald's Special Events, Cossette Communications, and DDB. To hear some of his music go to www.patrickp.biz! After successful delivery of MDM's IDEA-X program with the Communication University of China this past spring, he is currently designing a second iteration of the project oriented digital media program aimed at English as a Second Language learners from various Universities in Beijing in 2011.