NEW YORK.- Tara MacKay, Director of Education at Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design, ( Sessions.edu ) was a featured guest on the June 9th airing of Inside Mac Radio, a technology program hosted by Scott Sheppard and Brad Wright that boasts 500,000 unique listeners monthly.

In addition to her professional roles as educator and web entrepreneur, MacKay is also a regular author on Sessions' popular blog, Notes on Design (http://blog.sessions.edu/). Her posts on web design principles and recent software developments are among the most read on the site, which receives over 40,000 subscribers a day. MacKay has also contributed her skills as technical editor on several design publications, including Graphic Design Portfolio Builder (2005) from design imprint Peachpit Press.

During the interview, Sheppard and Wright asked MacKay about the differences between the online courses at Sessions, and those offered at an on-ground university. The difference, explained MacKay, is the level of individual attention Sessions students get from instructors. "Online you get the benefit of knowing the instructor one on one," she explained. "They really know about you and your work, and can help you learn what your design goals are and accomplish them with the help of their professional background."

Throughout the chat, MacKay highlighted other aspects of the Sessions experience with Sheppard and Wright, such as the ability to work at your own pace, and the multitude of opportunities for student interactivity—from online networking with other student designers, to personal portfolio critique by faculty. Sheppard and Wright were curious about the flexibility of the Sessions program, knowing that it's one of the few places where you can take accredited courses in Graphic Design at your own pace, completely online. MacKay explained the concept of "asynchronous" learning: the ability to "log on anytime, work anytime, and work from around the world". In other words, an experience that is uniquely able to adapt to a variety of personal needs.

The interview concluded with an introduction to the newest program offering at Sessions: game development, including courses on Maya software and character animation. "I wanted to give listeners a sense of the types of programs Sessions offers, including a sneak peek at our new game art courses," says MacKay. "Inside Mac Radio listeners always want to stay on top of the latest technology, and Sessions offers them a way to do that."