Multimedia Montage Project Proposal for Community College Instructors

The exciting part about being an educator is you're always learning new things. Perhaps that's true of any industry. However, I consider education to be a constant flow of new ideas and techniques, which is why my multimedia project proposal has to do with professional development. Below is my formal presentation.

Background/Rationale
During the 2016-17 school year, I started as an adjunct instructor at my local community college, Kirkwood Community College, teaching a 1-credit, introductory computer class to non-business majors. My course, which incorporates a book with exercises, is required for students in many career services programs to graduate.

As a new faculty member, I took advantage of many professional development opportunities held by the college's instructional design staff. Much of the learning I did focused on being introduced to new technologies from instructors in other disciplines. While the new applications I learned about were all interesting, it took me some time to filter what made the most sense for my class. I learned from attending professional development sessions and conversations with faculty that incorporating technology into classrooms varied, ranging from instructors who weren't sure how to include it to those who embraced it wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, there was a willingness from faculty to learn about technology in a way that didn't feel overwhelming and rushed.

One of the programs I learned about was Camtasia, which is a video presentation software. I used the trial version to create a few short demo videos for my students during the spring semester and found the supplemental material helped them better understand the content. Near the end of the semester, I purchased the software and subsequently made 13 tutorial videos, which ranged in length from less than 2 minutes to just longer than 3.5 minutes. All the tutorials related to one unit in the course.

This led me to consider if other instructors would like to receive training on the software so they could apply it to their coursework as they saw fit. I sent one of the tutorials I created to an instructional designer at the college and got positive feedback. She supported the idea of me conducting a hands-on, professional development training on creating easy, quality video tutorials.
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Part I – Purpose/Goals
The main purpose of my Multimedia Montage Project is to provide my fellow community college instructors the knowledge and recommended tools to produce educational videos to facilitate their classes. I plan to do this through a professional development training that introduces them to select multimedia tools.

My objective for the training is to create a session in which instructors are able to have their questions and concerns addressed in a hands-on environment. Additionally, I hope this training will produce an online community through Facebook or Google+ – contingent on college or department approval – so instructors can share what they're doing and serve as resources to each other. That way, they are able to go beyond the initial training and be encouraged to learn from their colleagues in a way that fosters dialogue and ideas to better serve their students.

Part 2 – Rationale & Project Summary
My project focuses on introducing and demonstrating the use of select multimedia products – specifically Camtasia (video), Rode Rec LE and Audacity (audio tools), and FreeOnlinePhotoEditor.com (photo editing) –  instructors can use to creatively produce short videos to at least supplement current content. I've also included two audio tools because I suspect one may be more advantageous in certain situations, and they may even complement each other. Using instructor-developed tutorials will encourage students to further engage with the subject matter and improve their ability to retain key information. In addition, instructors would be able to incorporate their own tutorials into the Brightspace course shell, allowing students to access materials in the same location used to retrieve information on assignments.

I am also interested in developing an online forum specific to the community college's instructors using a social media platform, such as Facebook or Google+, in which instructors share what they've produced and/or can ask technical questions they may run into after attending the in-person training. This online space would provide instructors with immediate access to information, thus reducing the time spent searching for information online. Instructors can use this forum as a key resource for developing content and learning from each other. Furthermore, I'd like this forum to be a guide for new faculty so they at least know of multimedia tools they can experiment with for their courses.

Part 3 – Audience
The ideal audience for my multimedia professional development session is Kirkwood instructors who want to introduce video tutorials into their lessons, especially if the content they facilitate is best illustrated by visual step-by-step instructions. Some instructors may already be using video but may want to expand their understanding of what else is available and how to best utilize it based on subjects they teach. When designing my training, I would need to allow instructors to assess if the tools I'm introducing can complement or replace any applications they currently use.

Part 4 – Overview of Instructional Plan and Learning Objective
The proposal for my professional development session will involve me providing a basic introductory tour of Camtasia's interface. This will include how to record a presentation and basic editing functions within the program. Instructors who sign up for my session will also have access to a sample video through email. This video would also be available for the online community, which could be created at a later date after the training. The formation of the online community, however, will need to be approved by either the college or my department.

I also plan to do a follow-up survey to participants after the session. This would allow me to assess how I can improve future training sessions. Some questions I expect to ask in the survey include:

• What made you decide to attend this session?
• What tech resources have you utilized in the past for your class(es)? 
• On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being most likely), how likely is it you would use Camtasia for your class? Explain your reasoning.
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how likely is it you would use Audacity or Rode Rec LE for your class? Explain your reasoning.
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how likely is it you would use FreePhotoEditorOnline for your class? Explain your reasoning.
• If you had to choose among the video, audio or photo-editing tools introduced in the session, which would you choose and why?
• Would you be interested in an additional follow-up session on these tools?
• Would you be interested in joining an online community for Kirkwood instructors specifically to discuss and share information on multimedia tools?

Part 5 – Technological Tools & Rationale

For this class, my Multimedia Montage Project will be to design an introductory presentation that first introduces the video, audio, and photo tools I plan to go into more detail on. I hope to be able to do this using the very tools I plan to discuss during my in-class presentation, which would be accompanied by detailed screencast videos highlighting the mechanics of each tool.

The first tool I plan to discuss is Camtasia, which is a versatile, easy-to-learn video recording and editing software. Users can create screencasts, which is great for demonstrating how specific software is used on the computer. One can then convert that screencast into a video file. Users can also create videos by importing photos or previously-recorded footage and enhance the presentation by adding narration, annotations and/or effects.

The second tool I want to review is Audacity, which is an audio-recording and editing software. This free software is easy to use, but it does take a bit of practice to learn how to fine-tune the sound to make it useable. I reference specific YouTube tutorials in learning the intricacies of editing sound.

Finally, the third tool is FreeOnlinePhotoEditor.com, which is an easy-to-use editing software that also allows you to add text to your photos, as well as make image enhancements. There is no download required for this software so anyone can use it as long as they have web access.

In the past, I utilized a variety of applications to create my video tutorials for my class. Since I'm also a photographer I'm familiar with using expensive Adobe tools on a regular basis, such as Photoshop and Adobe Premier Pro. However, I expect many instructors won't have these applications or have limited experience with them. That is why I chose the three to four applications I did because they are free (Camtasia has a limited free trial version) and they have a low learning curve so users can experiment with them at length with little frustration.

I consider the use of these applications easy to relate to in my field – Business/IT. That said, I also want to incorporate researched examples of how educators in other disciplines have or can use these tools. Additionally, I want the presentation to include some pros and cons since the programs can be accessed for free. Finally, I would like to include information on other tech tools as alternatives in case they find none of the initial applications I introduce would be a good fit for them.

Part 6 – Learning Theories/Principles
In reflecting on my own experiences as an adult, I've usually felt learned best by doing. Much of that is self-guided in terms of deciding what resources to pursue learning. However, within that framework, I rely on instructional methods I can view repeatedly. This is especially true when learning new technologies. The experience of repetitive instruction (or viewing videos in my case) is akin to someone holding my hand when I'm trying something new for the first time. The more I try something the less I rely on the instruction and the more I'm willing to eventually experiment.

In preparing my professional development session, I think it is important I keep that same concept in mind as I consider my audience. The instructors who come would be taking the initiative to learn about new tools. Therefore, I consider my training to simply be the first among many steps the instructors may take if they want to gain proficiency in implementing technology in their courses. I also would like instructors from different disciplines to learn from each other, whether it be from the in-person session or an online forum. I find seeing something from an outside perspective often gives someone or oneself an idea that otherwise wouldn't have been considered.

Part 7 – Timeline
I expect to complete my Multimedia Montage Project by Sunday, July 30 so my peers can have time to provide valuable feedback. Based on their input, I expect to make any necessary changes before finalizing the project. I expect to have my presentation completed by Monday, July 31. Even after the final project is turned in, I may tweak the presentation after the course ends and before the fall term starts in late August so I can start promoting the professional development training to my colleagues.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:

• July 10-13: 
• Search online communities – which include Google+, LinkedIn, and Facebook – for information on chosen tech tools
• Do assessments of Camtasia, Audacity, Rode Rec LE, and FreeOnlinePhotoEditor
• July 14-17: Provide feedback for peers on their multimedia tools.
• July 17-24: 
• Construct an outline of professional development presentation. 
• Create introductory video tutorial on Camtasia using Camtasia, Audacity, and FreeOnlinePhotoEditor
• Create how-to demo video on the Camtasia interface, embedded with an example of a tutorial lesson from a class.
• Find at least two examples of Camtasia used in a non-Business/IT discipline.
• Create a how-to demo video about Audacity and Rode Rec LE, embedded with an example of a class tutorial.
• Show at least two examples of using audio in a non-Business/IT discipline.
• Create a how-to demo video about FreeOnlinePhotoEditor, included with examples of how to markup or create illustrations.
• July 25-31: 
• Submit the project for peer review. 
• Provide feedback on peer presentations
• August 1-3: Review peer feedback and make necessary changes.
• August 4: Submit Final Project

Thanks for taking the time to read through this. I look forward to your feedback.

Shuva