etc@bmcnew media.web.and more.
The Summer Multimedia Development Institute is a program that trains and employs students as they work on projects submitted by faculty and administrative offices. Over the past five years, students have developed everything from department and course web pages to video and multimedia presentations. It has been a great success. Beginning in the summer of 2008, we are changing the focus and structure of the program in order to further technological development within courses and research projects. Also we are piloting a version of the program during the semester. As part of these changes, we have partnered with the Teaching and Learning Initiative to work with faculty during the semester and already have several faculty piloting this program in Spring of 2008. Faculty will be working with both a TLI student and an ETC student to facilitate the use of technology in one of their courses and to evaluate how well it meets their pedagogical goals.
Outlined below is the structure of the program. We will be holding an information session on February 12 from 4-5 in Dalton Hall 25so that faculty may ask questions about the new structure and focus of the program. Enclosed you will also find a proposal form for the program. Proposals for projects aredue March 7, 2008.
Summer Projects
During the summer, we will accept research or course based projects. Some projects may develop out of the semester-long work done in conjunction with the TLI, but we will also take submissions for other projects. Here are some possibilities:
- redevelop a course web site that is a significant web resource for a course
- set up a course blog, learn how to use it effectively, and develop appropriate assignments to enable its use
- work with mapping tools to develop course or research materials
- develop multimedia materials such as video, audio, or interactive flash resources, thinking through what materials are appropriate, the best way to organize and present the materials, and possibly learning how to create and find materials on your own
- develop a series of assignments that incorporate technology, such as having students create web sites or videos--this might involve creating appropriate documentation, finding tools that are easy to use, and determining how such an assignment would support your pedagogical goals
- experiment with a technological tool, such as a wiki or GIS or blogging, for a research project
These ideas are scratching the surface of what is possible. Some projects that have been created elsewhere and which might provide inspiration can be found below:
- Wesleyan's Learning Objects Program
- HASTAC projects(Humanities, Arts, Sciences, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory)
- Institute for Multimedia Literacy
The best way to think through a project is to discuss some of your ideas with one of the SMDI staff and we can suggest a possible direction.
Summer Schedule
We will have two 4-week sessions during which faculty may participate. The first session will take place from June 9-July 3. The second session will take place from July 14-August 8. Faculty will be required to attend at least two 1-hour work sessions per week. Our hope is that, during these sessions, faculty can provide guidance and feedback on the direction of the project and that faculty will learn more about the technical underpinnings of the project. For example, if a student is helping a faculty member develop video materials for a course, the faculty member should expect to gain a good understanding of how videos are created. The TLI will participate during the summer through meetings that will help faculty think through some of the pedagogical issues related to the project and the course.
Semester Schedule
Faculty participating in the summer program may choose to receive further assistance through the fall to implement course-based projects but it is not necessary for faculty to participate in the summer in order to work with us during the semester. Faculty who have never before participated may elect to work with the ETC and TLI in either the fall or spring semester. Faculty will be teamed up with a TLI and an ETC student to implement a summer project or to work on integration or improvement of technological aspects of a course. The students will attend the faculty member's course several times during the semester and will meet with the faculty regularly. The TLI coordinator and/or ETC staff will also be available to meet with faculty and students as needed. Semester projects may be taken up again during the summer to further develop resources that the faculty member feels are necessary. We see this whole process as cyclical so that faculty can get the most out of the program.
We are very excited about the possibilities this program offers for faculty support and for innovation in teaching with technology. We welcome your questions and ideas and look forward to seeing you at the information session or hearing from you. We may be contacted as follows:
Laura Blankenship (lblankenship@brynmawr.edu, 6578)
Christine Boyland (cboyland@brynmawr.edu, 7448)
David Consiglio (dconsigl@brynmawr.edu, 6534)
Nicole Finzer (nfinzer@brynmawr.edu, 7915)
Janet Scannell (jscannell@brynmawr.edu, 7437)
