Exploring Instructional and Access Technologies
Session Summary
(M1C)
The Computer Ate My VCR: Creating a Digital Media Lab for Use in Instruction
Gary Abernethy
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The St. Petersburg College Digital Media Lab Project (DMLP) is a project that began in the spring semester of 2003. The Sign Language Interpretation Program (SLIP) evaluated its existing student lab/studio designs and concluded that the labs needed a significant upgrade. The existing design revolved around the use of analog video cameras and VHS format videotape. The primary use of the video portion of the lab/studio was to record student projects for a variety of signing-related classes. The analog video cameras, monitors, and VCRs were cumbersome to operate and unpredictable in their functioning. In the assessment phase of the DMLP, the need for a number of improvements became evident. Problem areas included lack of meaningful interaction with students, slow feedback from instructors to students, awkward storage format of projects, limited application of existing technologies, non-existent integration with Web-based instruction, poor quality video production and extremely limited ability to archive prior and future student projects. The resulting lab design is applicable to a variety of instructional areas. In K-12, College and Corporate training. The resulting files were digital student projects, which allowed students to save projects with the synchronized feedback as well as add the files to their ongoing portfolios. All files were reusable and accessible, both locally and remotely. |