THE UK’s leading provider of online qualifications in art & design

Ian Ritchie is Chairman of Interactive Design Institute, iomart plc., Computer Application Services Ltd. And Caspian Learning Ltd. He is Co-Chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Council and Chairman of Our Dynamic Earth, the Edinburgh Science Centre.

He is a board member of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. He was a founding director, and Chairman (1988-1990), Of the Scottish Software Federation (now ScotlandIS). He is a board member of the GO Group, a trustee of the David Hume Institute, a trustee of the Saltire Foundation, a trustee of the Nominet Trust, and a member of the Council of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Ritchie has also been active in venture capital as a director of Northern Venture Trust plc from 1997-2001 and as a member of the advisory board of Pentech Ventures from 2001. He is a member of the ‘Access to Finance’ expert group at the UK`s Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Ritchie was awarded a CBE in the 2003 New Year Honours list for services to enterprise and education; he is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; and a Fellow and a past-President of the British Computer Society (1998-1999). He was a member of Scotland`s Cultural Commission in 2005/2006.

He has a BSc Hons in Computer Science from Heriot-Watt University (1973), and was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Heriot-Watt University in July 2000, the Robert Gordon University in July 2001, the University of Abertay Dundee in June 2002, and the University of Edinburgh in December 2003.

At IDI we only employ tutors who have consistently demonstrated a level of experience and commitment that is in keeping with our educational ethos. Our current group of tutors is representative of the sound educational and professional practice that provides students of Design in the UK with a first class educational experience. Consequently, IDI students are assured a consistently high standard of tuition, guidance and support across all our courses.

As a student you will find that every aspect of your innovative learning and teaching experience is delivered through the Interactive Design Institute’s bespoke online study environment, IDI Study. Our study environment is carefully designed to be not only user friendly but also secure and reliable. All IDI students have access to a secure, personal online studio where all module learning materials are stored and where communication with your tutors and fellow students takes place.

Courses are carefully structured to enable you to acquire the knowledge and understanding required to fulfil the course learning outcomes. Effective course delivery is a priority and is carried out through project based activities where you will learn through engagement in a variety of set tasks. Support materials that supplement this project based work are provided throughout the learning experience. 

As a student, you will record your work in a variety of ways; these can include photographs, scanned images, screen grabs, word files or pdfs. As you progress through the activities, you will be required to upload examples of your work to named folders within your ‘my work’ area, notifying your tutor by posting a message in the module discussion each time you upload.

As an IDI student, you will develop confidence and communication skills through participation in self and peer based evaluation of your work and the work of your fellow students within structured online forum activities.

Tutors will provide critical advice and feedback to you on a one to one basis within separate module discussions. You will interact with fellow students within online forums, where you can share images and explore a range of issues which may include, communication, design aesthetics, user needs and aspirations, employability, materials and processes, human factors, and issues surrounding preparation for the world of work. The learning experience is further enhanced through a series of formal Critical and Cultural Studies modules, which provide a context for your research and practice.

The Interactive Design Institute offers you the opportunity to choose the mode of study that best suits your individual circumstances.
You can study with IDI by choosing one of three models:

• full time
• full time fast track
• part time

Additionally, you can choose to study up to the following levels of qualification across a set number of semesters:

• For the Dip HE, the full time route consists of 4 semesters and the part time route consists of 8 semesters
• For the BA programme, the full time route consists of 6 semesters and the part time route consists of 12 semesters

The recommended time commitment for part time study is a minimum of 15 hours per week and a minimum of 30 hours for full time.
Each semester is 16 weeks duration, consisting of 12 weeks of learning followed by 4 weeks of assessment and moderation.

As a student, you will be formatively assessed through a combination of activities designed to help to develop and consolidate your learning and also set summative assessment tasks, which contribute to your module grades.
You will be informed of your summative assessments submission dates at the start of the semester and before or on the submission date, you will be required to download and complete the self-evaluation section on the module assessment form and submit this along with a selection of work as appropriate to cover the learning outcomes of the module.

All of your work selected for assessment will be uploaded into named folders within an assessment folder. Where practical modules are concerned, this work would normally cover research, development and outcome. IDI tutors assess the work submitted and inform the University of Hertfordshire Link Tutors, who moderate the assessments, assessment feedback and grades to ensure parity. External Examiners will then sample the assessments. Following scheduled Module or Programme Boards your results will be formally released on StudyNet which is the Universtiy of Hertfordshire’s intranet.

At all stages of the assessment process, IDI tutors and support staff are available to provide guidance and support to any students requiring assistance with the assessment process.

As an IDI student you will manage your own learning within the constraints of the semester start dates and summative assessment submission dates.

You will work to a given delivery plan for each module, which indicates approximately where you should be within each module learning path at any given point. All activities and briefs within the learning paths contain suggested time allocations. You will be able to discuss your progress in relation to your delivery plans with your tutors, who offer advice and support relating to time management.

As an IDI student, you  can study at home and in your own time, with help and support available from fully qualified, experienced tutors. The tutor’s role is to guide you throughout your studies and provide critical advice and feedback in order to assist with the development of your work. This support can happen on a daily basis. Tutors are in turn supported by IDI Course Managers who liaise with University of Hertfordshire staff to ensure the quality of the student experience.

As a student you can communicate with your tutors at any time and as often as you feel you need to. IDI tutors are your main point of contact throughout your learning experience. However, you may also contact your Course Manager regarding any other issues.

IDI’s course materials are made available to you in several formats. They can include flat pages of text, visual step-by-step guides, movies, documents, pdfs, links to online resources including galleries, journals and other relevant publications as well as links to artist’s and designer’s websites.

Within your online studio, you have:
•    access to academic year schedules and module guides, which includes the delivery plan
•    access to the IDI student handbook
•    access to comprehensive learning materials

The online studio will also enable you to:
•    receive announcements from your tutors or IDI staff tutors which include timetable and assessment reminders
•    communicate with your tutors and fellow students
•    access your personal assessment documentation and complete self evaluations for submission to tutors prior to assessment
•    receive formative assessment feedback prior to exam boards and confirmation of results within StudyNet
•    access all appropriate University of Hertfordshire documentation

StudyNet
In addition to the comprehensive support provided through the IDI study site, you have a direct link to StudyNet , which is the University of Hertfordshire’s intranet. Within StudyNet, you are able to access digital resources specific to your subject specialism and this is also where you will receive your module results.

As an IDI student, you are encouraged to interact within our group forums. These forums can also involve guest lecturers and industry specialists and take place within a password protected, online environment.

There is at least one forum attached to each module. These module forums are open for general discussion throughout the semester and provide a useful opportunity for students to introduce each other, get to know your fellow students and communicate informally as your studies progress.

There are also forums relating to the module learning materials. Tutors monitor this activity and contribute as and when appropriate.