Colin Maxwell

“Fear not failure. Learning from your mistakes is sometimes the most effective method of education.”

Professional and educational biography

Colin Maxwell teaches information technology, specializing in interactive multimedia. His main interests, both inside the classroom and beyond, are animation, eLearning, and web-based games.

Maxwell’s numerous projects involving animation or interactive media include think: design, an eLearning module that addresses different aspects of design; and “Ruftoon Zoo,” a short animation for television. In conjunction with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), he also led development of a course that integrates with official Adobe curriculum.

Maxwell has produced animations, e-learning materials, websites, and games using Adobe Flash. In 2006, for example, he developed a computer game to help promote teamwork and employability skills. He has also been using Flash to conduct research into the effectiveness of computer games in learning.

Maxwell began teaching in 1997 after working as a crime-scene investigator and photographer. He moved into full-time teaching in 1999. He has continued with his own studies, gaining a postgraduate diploma in multimedia technology from Napier University in Edinburgh and a teaching qualification from Dundee University.

Websites and publications

• Maximized
• think: design
• SQA DIVA
• "Developing Multimedia Applications," co-authored with M. McPhee and K. Anderson, published by Coleg (2001)