Keeping up with tech savvy students

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BY Chris Martin

September 17, 2008

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/multimedia_wing.jpg” caption=”The Humanities Media and Computing unit offers a variety of multimedia resources. Photo by Chris Martin.”]Classrooms featuring surround sound audio systems, data projectors, DVD players and Apple computers are not the only features that make the second and third floors of Togo Salmon Hall unusual. In addition to McMaster's Humanities Media and Computing unit, these floors are home to a wide assortment of high-tech learning facilities.

“What makes McMaster stand out as a multimedia school is that each year, Humanities allocates sufficient resources to keep our technology on the cutting edge,” says department manager John Bell. “For us to be an effective place to learn, we need to make sure students have the resources they need to be current in today's fast-moving multimedia environment. You can't enroll students in your program, and make them use two megapixel cameras when their cellphones probably have 10.”

The department's next move forward will be into high-definition video.

“With the move to high definition, we've had to replace many of our older editing tools,” says Bell. “That includes computers, cameras and software. We recently replaced our iMacs with brand new ones that can edit HD video.”

Among the resources available are computer labs (both PC and Macintosh), multimedia classrooms equipped with DVD players, streaming-video workstations, audio labs with recording tools, and a media library complete with movies, records and video games.

“We have the video games because many of our programs focus on the progress of technology. Video games really drive the hardware industry, and are helpful to be familiar with if you want to understand the evolution of the genre,” says Bell when asked why the department keeps Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii at the Lyons Instructional Media Centre. “There is also research going on here looking at how 3D virtual worlds can be used pedagogically.”