Making it professionally: student identity and industry professionals in higher education

Abstract

Addressing connections between higher education and ‘industry’ framed by UK government creative industries strategies, this article draws on research with games design students to explore their transition from being a student to being ‘industry‐ready’. The article introduces broader currents within higher education around personal development and possessing the right skills, and addresses how these emerge through collaboration with industry. These transformations are part of a process of ‘becoming’ in which students are presented with a diverse range of ways to prepare themselves. Focusing on how students negotiate aspects of their identity in becoming industry‐ready, the article outlines and compares the influence of ‘celebrity’ designers and industry professionals involved in higher education. Beyond the imparting of information, the article points to the values and ways of being industry professionals present, how these are engaged with by students, and issues around making both games and the self ‘more professional’.

Keywords:

• student identity
• games design
• industry‐ready

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank all the research participants who contributed to this discussion and the Arts and Humanities Research Council that funded this research. The comments of the anonymous referees were also invaluable in revising the article.