Rapid advances in
technologies such as artificial intelligence, real-time engines, virtual
production, and hybrid pipelines are reshaping the professional capabilities
required of animation graduates. Yet universities often rely on relatively
inflexible curriculum structures, creating a persistent disconnect between
academic training and evolving industry practice. To address this tension, this
article presents a discipline-specific conceptual model that treats animation
curricula as dynamic, adaptive systems rather than static syllabi. Grounded in
an action design study of the BA Animation programme at the University of
Brighton, UK, and informed by social responsiveness theory and participatory
action research principles, the paper proposes a five-stage iterative
framework: environmental scanning, participatory diagnosis, co-design and
prototyping, implementation and evaluation, and institutional embedding. The
model positions educators, students, and industry partners as co-designers,
recasting curriculum responsiveness as a systemic property of programmes and
institutions rather than the responsibility of individual lecturers. By
balancing technological agility with academic integrity, critical inquiry, and
ethical literacy, the framework offers actionable recommendations for creative
arts and media programmes seeking to maintain pedagogical currency in
technology-driven environments.
