Edgar Dale Media Center

You may already know about Ramseyer Hall being University High School. Did you know this space was also home to the Edgar Dale Media Center? The College Commons used to function as the Edgar Dale Media Center. At the time, the center was know for its circulating collection of big books, award books, textbooks, overheads, CD-ROMS, science kits, posters, and even puppets! The center also operated as an production facility that specialized in overhead transparencies, videotape editing, Ellison letter machines, and early computer printing.

Who Was Edgar Dale?

A distinguished Ohio State Professor, Dr. Edgar Dale was a schoolteacher, professor and employee for Kodak. Dale was fond of the motion picture industry for the potential impacts on student learning.

The Cone of Experience

After his stint at Kodak, Dale achieved major success at Ohio State. His breakthrough teaching moment was with the Cone of Experience.

The Cone of Experience is a theory on how well users retain memory of various multimedia elements. Today, Instructional Designers and scholars continue to build upon his teaching methods.

So when you stop by the College Commons you are paying homage to the man himself, Edgar Dale!

Many of us get spam and other suspicious emails. Many of these suspicious emails contains links that will offer to “reset” your password. But, this is a trick called phishing! If you ever get an email about your storage or that your account has been hacked, don’t panic and don’t click. Forward the email to report-phishing@osu.edu

Even if the email looks legitimate, do not click. Instead, go to my.osu.edu to reset your all OSU related passwords.  This a good rule of thumb for all email providers. If you receive an suspicious email, always reset the password at the providers main webpage.

Did you click on the link? Do not panic, contact OSU Enterprise Security Team:  Phone: 614-688-4357 Email: 8help@osu.edu

Wanna be even more preventive? You can do that with a free service called LastPass! LastPass is a secure password management system that stores all your website logins securely. You can either use their webpage, browser extension or mobile app. With LastPass you only need to remember you master password. This is great for people who always forget their password. Instead of trying to memorize several passwords, memorize just one. Of course, your master password should be cryptic and hard to guess.

In case you missed it… Apple released the Apple Watch and iPhone 7 yesterday. The Apple Watch will gain a GPS with several different varieties including a Nike sport edition. iPhone 7 gets several performance upgrades and retires the “100 year old” headphone jack. With every iPhone 7, Apple will supply lighting cable headphones and a headphone adapter. Separately, Apple will offer wireless “Airpods” for 159.99. All Apple products are slated to go on sale this fall.

Watch the event summed up in 107 seconds:

In just a few short weeks, Pokémon GO has become a global phenomenon.  The augmented reality game is available in over 40 countries and has been downloaded by over 100 million users.  With the autumn semester quickly approaching, students (and a few faculty and staff) will have to figure out how to balance their schoolwork and their Pokémon training.

Here in Ramseyer 260, we have the answer for you.

The EHE College Commons, operated by the Educational Technology department, is a study space conveniently located at a Pokéstop. You can use our public computers, lounge on our bean bags chairs, and do your homework – all while catching Pokémon and stocking up on Pokéballs! It’s really a win-win situation.

And the particular Pokéstop at the College Commons is interesting in its own right.  Ramseyer Hall was originally University High School in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and there are stone inscriptions above many of the doorways that were carved back in those days.  One of the stones, the actual site of the Pokéstop, reads “Prize the Doubt, Low Kinds Exist Without.”

This phrase is from an 1864 Robert Browning poem entitled “Rabbi Ben Ezra,” about a scholar and mathematician from the 12^th century.  The inscription tells us that we should be continuously searching for more knowledge, never just content with what we are told, especially as students and members of the educational world.  Having doubt encourages us to continue learning.

Who knew that a phone-based Pokémon game would lead us to this?!  Come stop by the College Commons in Ramseyer 260 to learn more about the history of the building and the services we offer.

Have you ever wanted to record yourself on video without the hassle of setting up a camera and microphone? Are you looking for a quick an easy way to get high-quality recordings without in-depth knowledge of video equipment?

“The One Button Studio is a simplified recording environment that can be used without any previous video production experience.” The College of Education and Human Ecology’s EdTech team built a One Button Studio in Ramseyer 360A for EHE students and faculty to use for academic projects.

While the One Button’s recording process is simplified and streamlined, it is always useful to know what to expect before recording any video. That is where the EHE One Button Overview video comes in. Once customers reserve the space, this video is sent to them via email to prepare them for their recording session.

This video was designed in collaboration with the co-workers who oversee the studio’s day-to-day studio operation. With their guidance, we were able to ensure that we addressed many of the common pitfalls of the first time user, as well as provide helpful reminders about wardrobe selection and presentation techniques that benefit even those with more advanced recording experience.

In the video, we open with a few pre-recording suggestions and follow up with an example of what a typical studio experience will be like. In a similar style to the Whisper Room Tutorial we made earlier this year, the voiceover was implemented to deliver the verbal instruction, which works in tandem with corresponding visuals. This combination allows the audience to conceptualize how they should prepare for their session and what the recording experience will feel like once they arrive. In addition, we chose to expand the usage of on-screen text in this video to allow the audience to read and hear the tips at the same time. These techniques were employed to ensure a more comprehensive instructional aid, suited to many different styles of learning.

We ultimately envision this video being housed on the webpage with the One Button Studio reservation form. For the time being, it will be distributed to users via a link in the confirmation email they receive after they fill out the service request form. We highly encourage patrons of the One Button Studio to watch this video and consider the included information before their recording session. With a little preparation, anyone can make a stellar video using the One Button Studio!

Greetings Dear Readers,

I, Christopher Davis, one of your beloved EHE Edtech members will be leaving you and The Ohio State University to pursue future career opportunities. I graduated this past spring, and due to the fact I am starting a great internship, I will no longer be able to continue to contribute to this blog. For the past year, I have had the joy and the privilege, of writing to you on a regular basis.

To give a bit of my personal history, I started working with Edtech at the beginning of my Junior Year of undergrad here at OSU. I was interested in video editing and was seeking an opportunity to hone my skills while still in school. I was hired as a Multimedia Assistant where I was tasked with transcribing, recording and editing videos that came in through our office. After my first year, I expressed an interest in writing.  I was then given the opportunity to update our Edtech blog during my last year at OSU. I recently graduated this past May with a B.A in New Media and Communication Technology from the College of Art’s and Sciences. After graduating, I have continued to experiment with technology by starting my personal Youtube channel as well as doing photography utilizing the skills I learned here at OSU.  This June I will be starting a Marketing internship with Warmilu, an advanced therapeutic warming technology startup.

My experience at OSU, as well as working for EHE Edtech, has taught me a lot.  Over the years I have gained experience editing professional videos, writing, meeting deadlines and, most importantly, working with a team. I will be able to transfer these experiences and skills into future career endeavors. It has been a pleasure working with EHE Edtech and being a part of the OSU community as a whole. Through opportunities here, I was able to discover the benefits advanced technology can have on my career. Hopefully, everyone in the OSU community can continue to use technology to improve their lives both in and out of the classroom!

Best of Luck to Everyone,

Christopher Davis

With the beautiful summer weather finally here, it is now the perfect time to take your camera skills practiced during the school year outside! Using equipment outside can lead to many challenges not present while shooting within classroom buildings. The techniques that you learned while shooting inside the College of Education may still be put to use while outside.

1. Pay attention to sunlight and the effects it can have on images.

While shooting inside, we the focus was on manipulating artificial light. Taking video or photos outside can lead to new challenges due to sunlight. For instance, when it’s very sunny outdoors shadows will appear behind people and objects. In some cases, such as photography, shadows may be desired for a particular effect. While filming videos, they may be seen as distracting and undesired. The sun can also cause a lens flare on a photo, which can be a problem when it is undesired. In this situation try to shield your camera lens with a lens hood or your hand to avoid this effect.

2.Watch out for audio interference caused by weather.

If you have recorded audio inside the College Commons Whisper Room before, user movement was probably the main culprit audio issues. While recording video, it is important to watch for audio interference. For instance, the wind can interfere with microphones when recording audio outside. It is just as important to check for audio errors outside as it is while recording indoors in areas such as the Whisper Room. Bring a set of headphones or earbuds and make sure to listen either while recording, or with a media playback feature present in most cameras.

3. Make sure to keep equipment safe from environmental damage.

When using equipment indoors, the environment is less obtrusive. Outdoors this is not the case. Be sure to check weather forecast so that you are prepared for the weather. Purchasing a waterproof bag is beneficial for protecting camera technology from water damage. It is important to keep cameras away from dirt or sand in all instances because both can damage equipment very easily.

4. Bring along a friend to help you with unique outside issues.

It was probably easy to record or take photos when you are inside a controlled environment. It is often harder to film outside due to issues presented above. With that in mind, it can be beneficial to bring along another person while shooting. For instance, a friend can hold an umbrella over the camera while shooting in the rain. They can also assist in keeping equipment (Tripods, Lights, Microphones, Various Bags) secure and safe from weather and theft while you are focusing on taking good shots of the outdoors.

5. Experiment with the environment and weather!

Challenges aside, taking photos and videos during the summer outside can be a gratifying experience. Use the environment around you to create fascinating content. Animals, cars, and plants can all be used to film dynamic projects. For example, try bringing your camera to a public park or a campsite. Other popular location for summer shooting would be weddings, family gatherings, and tropical vacations. Keep safety a priority and possibilities and endless!

Have fun and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Check out Google’s new technology, Tilt Brush.  I already have ideas how this could be adapted for more applications than just creating art.  Imagine how this could be used for medical surgery simulation or anatomy class.  How about exploring the “inside” or middle of a molecule or atom in physics and chemistry class?  You could see how the electrons orbit the nucleus.  Or, better yet, allowing a student that is bound to a wheelchair, to interact with others in art class or even gym.  A child stuck in a hospital bed could travel to Hawaii and climb a tree!  We could build skyscrapers or a city at the bottom of the ocean!  Just dream of the possibilities.

http://www.tiltbrush.com/

We have all heard the acronym, Keep It Simple Stupid or KISS principle. Well, I have brought it forward into our 21st Century supportive culture with an update. It is now, Keep It Simple and Supportive. When it comes to the world of educational videos, an animation style should support what is being taught by stimulating our visual interest. If the video portion is just regurgitating what is being said in the audio, we the viewer start, to feel insulted. Children’s (young children’s) videos tend to like this visual literal of what is being said in the audio, for teaching and reinforcing… the Direct Instruction philosophy of call, answer, and repeat which is great for instilling basic principles in young developing minds. However, for older students, and definitely college students, this style of instruction will come across as childish and boring. Because of that, this style of video will not stimulate the viewer.

Here is a great example of what I am talking about.

This video is also very simple, and minimal, in its construction. Because of this less time and cost goes into producing this type of animation compared to a more complicated style, but yet is very mature. Most of this animation is comprised of still objects instead of elaborate 3D renderings or complex moving characters. A slight visual vibration effect is added to the still objects to create a sense of motion, or life, in objects. There is also a cyclical brightness oscillation that can be seen, changing the scenery from light to dark to light again adding a passage of time feel to the objects and background using a pulsing feel. These few basic ideas all add to the engagement factor, while not distracting the viewer from the import part, the information that the narrator is imparting upon us. Could we employ this style to teach history or psychology? Heck yes!

Simple… entertaining… not distracting… and just plain cute!