CCUMC: The Consortium of College and University Media Centers

College & University Media Review:
A Look at Practices, Trends & Research
Fall 1996 Volume 3, Number 1

• Through the editor's lens,
  Michael J. Albright, Iowa State University
• The United Kingdom AV scene through the eye of Nottingham University,
  Marian Cumpstey, Nottingham University

  All universities in the UK have some form of audiovisual support service, although many variations exist. As in the US, the trend seems to be toward mergers with information technology units. Audio Visual and Educational Services at the University of Nottingham, founded in 1970, supports all seven campuses of the university plus two large teaching hospital ad many other outside customers. It provides a broad range of media-related services. Current directions are toward increased development of computer-assisted and video-based learning materials, as well as electronic delivery to students both on and off campus.

• Instructional technology in Spanish universities,
  Antonio R. Bartolome Pina, University of Barcelona

  A wide range of media technologies is available to professors in Spanish universities. Multimedia and other computer-based technologies such as the Internet are rapidly increasing in use, and video is still quite common. Universities in Spain have a history of providing technology support services. However, it is not unusual to find two or more specialized centers serving an entire campus, instead of a single centralized center with a broader menu of services. Most media directors are professional educators rather than technology specialists. They communicate frequently among themselves, and their centers engage in many collaborative projects. The University of Barcelona is recognized as a leader in technology applications among Spanish universities and recently initiated an ambitious project entitled the Teaching Enhanced by Technology programme.

• Instructional media support for engineering education at the Nanyang Technological University,
  Kam-Cheong Lau, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

  The Centre for Educational Development (CED) was established in 1982 to help support the complex instructional technology needs of the faculty and students in engineering at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) of Singapore. The centre’s services were subsequently extended to non-engineering schools of the university. Following the simple concept of development-production-utilisation as a framework, the staff and facilities of CED are organised into instructional development services, production services, and presentation services. Problem areas include the time and effort required for faculty to integrate technology effectively into their curricula, difficulties in finding and keeping highly trained staff at NTU, and the necessity to keep abreast of current developments in technology.

• Instructional technology in Hong Kong universities,
  Ian Hart, University of Hong Kong

  Although faculty members in the nine Hong Kong universities tend to be conservative in their instructional methods, lecture halls now being constructed have the latest technology-based teaching systems. In fact, City University and the University of Science and Technology, both constructed in the past 15 years, are built around integrated instructional technology networks, as are the new campuses for the Baptist University and Lingnan College. Media support units in Hong Kong universities have noted a steady trend toward downsizing, one-line budgets whereby clients are charged for services, and closer integration with staff development activities. Media staff members look forward to forging ties with their mainland colleagues as Hong Kong becomes part of China in 1997.

• Instructional technology in Israeli universities: Does it exist?,
  Harriet Kasow, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

  For a small country with a population of five million persons, Israel has a comprehensive higher education system with seven residential universities, an Open University for distance education, and various other colleges, schools, and institutes that offer post secondary degrees. Centers and units for computing, multimedia, audiovisual services, and media production have been created at these institutions for the most part on an ad hoc basis in libraries and academic units rather than large-scale, centralized services. However, instructional technology is the concern of several research institutes and academic degree programs.

• Instructional support in higher education: A holistic perspective,
  Joseph A. Hutchinson, Louisiana State University

  Forces currently acting upon higher education argue for instructional support programs that more closely integrate the distinct functions of instructional technology, faculty development, and assessment. At Louisiana State University, the Division of Instructional Support and Development (DISD) has adopted a holistic philosophy of instructional support. Through its component units, the Center for Instructional Technology, Center for Faculty Development, Measurement and Evaluation Center, and Distance Learning Program, the DISD provides integrated services and resources in which the efforts of each individual area are actively supported by the others. This approach transcends shared administrative interests and involves active collaboration among staff to bring resources, experience, skills, and professional expertise to bear on initiatives.

• New tricks for Netscape: Multimedia plug-ins and networked instructional technology,
  Mark Muckelroy, Regent University and Bill Wyman, University of Colorado at Boulder

  The World Wide Web provides access to a massive array of information on host computers all over the globe. Browsers such as Netscape and Internet Explorer facilitate access to this information through user-friendly graphical displays. Plug-ins extend the capabilities of Netscape to accommodate the myriad of file types appearing on the Web and in desktop computing in general. Plug-ins greatly expand the functionality of the WWW but must be used with some caution.