Methods and Challenges in Teaching Transversal Projects

Abstract

At Lusófona University in Lisbon, the film bachelor second-year students develop every year a cross-curricular project comprising the joint development of a web series and an associated transmedia component. This cross-curricular project not only involves all courses in the curriculum for that semester but also engages students from other degrees by involving sound students in the development and production of the projects. Proposed methods include strong engagement with external experts coming from the industry, peer learning, and a central focus on education through projects in development. The activity articulates both individual and group evaluation throughout the various stages of the project, from the initial briefing to the final public presentation, and a great emphasis is put on simulating actual “real world” creative and production challenges.

Keywords: Practice-led learning, collaborative project, team building, mini-series, transversal, pedagogy, cinema students