Andrew Burn

Andrew Burn is an Emeritus Professor of Media at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) within UCL's Faculty of Education and Society. Born in 1954, he has made significant contributions to media arts education, multimodality, and play, particularly through his development of the Kineikonic Mode theory.12

Early Life and Education

Burn was raised in various locations, including Shifnal, England, and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. He studied English at St John's College, Oxford, where he won the Eugene Lee-Hamilton prize for poetry in 1975. He later earned an MA in Cultural Studies and a PhD in film semiotics from the UCL Institute of Education.12

Career Highlights

• Teaching Background: Burn began his career as a secondary school teacher for over two decades before transitioning to higher education. He played a pivotal role in establishing Parkside Community College as the UK's first specialist media arts college.12
• Academic Positions: He joined the IOE in 2001 as a lecturer and became a professor in 2009. He is noted for initiating UCL's first undergraduate degree in media studies and expanding its postgraduate programs.12
• Research Initiatives: Burn co-founded the DARE (Digital|Arts|Research|Education) initiative with the British Film Institute, which was later rebranded as ReMAP (Research in Media Arts and Play). This initiative focuses on digital media and arts education.123

Publications and Projects

Burn has authored several works that explore media literacy, cultural contexts of media practices, and children's creative production of media. His recent book, Literature, Videogames and Learning, examines the connections between literature and video games.34

In addition to his academic work, Burn is involved in various projects aimed at integrating game-based tools into education. One notable tool is Missionmaker, which allows users to create 3D adventure games.23

Overall, Andrew Burn's career reflects a deep commitment to enhancing media education and understanding its cultural implications.