Discover and build engaging learn objects using a three-tiered structural approach to media development, ranging from free do-it-yourself elements to high end multi-media productions.
Media has become an essential element in the way students learn. It is easier than it has ever has been to produce effective media for your classes, but the proper action plan is essential. There are times a faculty member may be looking for a quick and easy recording to address their student's immediate needs, while other times a planned and polished piece that will become a lasting part of course content is necessary. Finding a starting point for these and other media elements can be a challenge, and making sure time invested in production is well spent is always an issue.
The Boston University Office of Distance Education along with the University of Wisconsin-Extension School have collaborated to provide a structured way to think about planning and producing media for the online classroom environment. Our new three-tiered model of course media content allows for a scalability of production based on factors such as resources, time, and budget.
The first tier of production is focused on self-service by the content generator, most likely a faculty member, facilitator, or other SME. The focus here is on introducing tools that will allow for content creation and distribution managed by the creator of the media, with initial training provided by support services. This could include tools such as narrated screen or handwriting capture, lecture recording, and post-production editing and hosting. The end product here could be the final version, or first cut of a higher tier's content.
The second tier of service focuses a combined effort between faculty and support services, where content is produced by faculty but packaged and enhanced by a media technologist or team. This could include a production setup for faculty and orientation to a media device or room capture, or a service that provides advanced post-production techniques.
The third tier of service is for advanced planned production, be it video or audio elements, still or animated interactions and media objects, as well as multi-media productions. Content is still provided by the faculty, but in this tier it is used to develop a production plan, which is formulated and executed by media support. The production team is in the driver's seat in this case, with the faculty providing an on camera presence or other participation as needed.
Our 90-minute interactive workshop session will include examples and practical resources to help illustrate how to get started, and introduce new methods to assist in the development of all three tiers of service. We will introduce specific tools that can be used by designers, technologists, faculty, and other support administrators to create their own tier one and two media elements. This will include basic training on and suggestions related to free or inexpensive software that we use at our own Universities to help subject matter experts produce video, audio, and multi-media content to enhance the course experience for the student. We will also provide strategies related to tier three programming that can save faculty and their related departments time and money, while creating their own engaging learn objects and other advanced media tools.
After each tier of service is introduced, an interactive session will follow that allows participants to create their own objects based on software that is available to them on their own laptops, or free of cost to explore or download. Participants can work individually or in groups to produce examples of media that can be implanted into their course content. Each tier can provide high quality, effective media elements for utilization both in online and on campus courses. If there is interest in enriching the content in courses but uncertainty about where to begin, how to plan, or what resources are available, please join us for our presentation.
Learning Objectives
-Introduce the methodologies used to incorporate the various types of media objects that are produced for course content, and relate how they fit the pedagogy of the online learning environment
-Understand the three-tiered model of media development that ranges from faculty produced content to in-house media production. Demonstrate ways that faculty, designers, and media specialists can incorporate all three levels of development into their online course environment
-Provide examples of media objects used in our award-winning Boston University Online and University of Wisconsin-Extension programs, and demonstrate how they can be recreated for other online programs
-Produce a series of media objects utilizing strategies and tools related to each tier of service, and understand how to take these elements and apply them to the online learning pedagogy
Prior Presentation Experience
This would be Rob Haley's third speaking engagement at a Sloan-C or OLC Conference, having presented a 75-minute session on Maximizing the Pedagogy of Online Learning Through Media at the 2013 Sloan-C Emerging Technologies in Online Learning Conference, as well as a 50-minute session on Discovering and Developing a Highly Effective Model for Supporting Online Programs and Projects At Your University at last year's Emerging Technologies International Symposium.
Rob also previously teamed up with Patrick Wirth to present a 75-minute session on Maximizing the Pedagogy of Online Learning Through Media at the 2012 WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies Annual Conference. They also hosted a Discussion Forum at this summer's Distance Teaching & Learning Conference in Madison that focused on the three tiers collaborative, and look forward to the possibility of expanding on that session with an interactive and highly engaging workshop.
Audience
Our audience consists of those faculty, instructional designers, educational technologists, and online media producers who are looking to add value to their courses through the use of media and learning objects. For Instructors, familiarity with basic types of media objects is not necessary. For Designers, some familiarity with basic media objects and their functionalities would be beneficial, but is not mandatory. We would require that each participant bring a laptop computer, but we will be using tools that are available on both Mac and PC devices.